Pune: With the new academic year set to begin in the coming days, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) has directed schools and educational authorities to ensure that all vehicles transporting students fully comply with safety regulations. Authorities have warned that strict action will be taken against school buses, vans, and other transport vehicles found violating the prescribed norms.
The RTO has issued letters to school managements across the district, instructing them to ensure that all school transport vehicles possess valid fitness certificates and are in proper working condition before schools reopen.
Parents Advised Against Using Unauthorised Vehicles
The RTO has also urged parents not to send their children in illegal or unlicensed vans and autorickshaws. Schools have been directed to establish School Transport Committees and conduct regular audits to ensure compliance with transportation safety norms.
Special enforcement drives will be launched at major city intersections once schools reopen. RTO officials will inspect school vehicles for safety and regulatory compliance.
Key RTO Guidelines
According to the directives issued by the RTO:
All school buses and vans must have valid fitness certificates.
Vehicles must be mechanically sound, with properly functioning brakes, headlights, and tyres.
Speed governors must be installed and operational.
Drivers must possess valid driving licences and have completed police verification.
Every vehicle must carry a functional first-aid kit and fire extinguisher.
Female attendants must be present in school buses for the safety of girl students.
Vehicles carrying students beyond their permitted seating capacity will face action.
Unauthorised vehicles, including those operating with private (white) number plates, will be seized if found transporting students.
Special Inspection Squads to Be Deployed
The RTO has announced that special flying squads will be deployed to conduct surprise inspections of school vehicles at the start of the academic year. Authorities have appealed to parents to verify that the vehicle used by their child is authorized and safe.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Pune Deputy RTO Swapnil Bhosale said, “Violations of school transport regulations will not be tolerated. Strict legal action will be taken against those endangering the safety of students.”
The move aims to strengthen student safety and ensure that school transportation services operate in accordance with established safety standards.
