Baramulla, Mar 23: The J&K transport department has tightened the noose against the private schools for plying buses with expired fitness certificates and permits.
On Saturday, Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) Baramulla Muazzam Ali visited various private schools of the district to conduct the road safety audit of the buses.
During the inspection of the vehicle documents, it came to fore that some of the buses owned by one of top notch schools of Baramulla ply on the roads with expired fitness certificates while route permit of some buses has expired as well.
Talking to reporters, ARTO Baramulla Muazzam Ali said the special drive for school buses was started on the directions of the higher ups of the department and will continue in future as well.
“We have strict instructions to visit at least two to three schools on a daily basis and conduct a road safety audit of school buses,” he said.
He said during his visit to one of the leading private schools of Baramulla, it was found that fitness certificates of some buses have expired while some buses are plying despite having expired permits.
“The documents of some buses are updated but some have issues with regard to the documents,” Ali said.
He said the school was given a one week deadline to renew the fitness certificate and route permits to avoid any action from the government.
“All these buses which were around 19, have been blacklisted and will not be allowed to ply on roads unless the school authorities renew the document of these buses,” he said.
He said the department has sensitised the drivers and the transport in-charges of all the schools about the Supreme guidelines.
“All the schools which have buses with expired fitness certificates or other documents should get them renewed by March 31,” Muazzam Ali said.
As already reported, the transport department has prescribed the permit conditions for school buses and the transport facilities hired by schools, as per AIS-063. The permit conditions have been issued while incorporating the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court for safety of school transport.