An alarming situation has emerged in Nagpur, where 492 school buses are operating without the mandatory fitness certificates, posing significant risks to children’s safety. This issue was highlighted in an audit of school bus fitness certificates conducted across 56 Regional Transport Offices (RTO) and deputy offices in the state, according to a report in a local English daily.
In Nagpur district, where there are three RTO offices — City, East Nagpur, and Rural — a total of 3,993 school buses have been registered. As a precautionary step, the owners of 281 buses have been served with suspension notices by all three offices.
According to data obtained by the local daily from the Maharashtra Transport Commissioner’s office, more than 24% of school buses in the state are currently operating without valid fitness certificates. Out of the total 42,291 school buses registered with the State Transport Department, 75.86% (31,834 buses) possess annual fitness certificates. However, the fitness certificates of 10,216 buses have expired.
Data reveals that only 14 out of 56 Transport Department offices have issued notices to suspend permits for 4,998 buses. Pune RTO, with the highest number of school buses registered at 6,366, has 4,861 buses with valid fitness certificates, while 1,507 are operating without them. As a result, the office has served permit suspension notices to 852 owners.
The neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad RTO has the second-highest number of registered school buses, totaling 2,951. However, only 1,926 of these buses have obtained fitness certificates, leading the Transport Department to start suspending the permits of the remaining 1,025 buses.
In the Mumbai regions (Central, West, and East), as well as Thane and Kalyan, approximately 26.24% of registered school buses lack fitness certificates. Records show that 4,861 school buses are registered in these areas, with only 3,585 holding valid fitness certificates and 1,276 operating without them.
A state-wide initiative is set to target school buses operating without fitness certificates, according to an official. In Nagpur, a special checking drive for vehicles, especially those transporting schoolchildren, has been launched. Records of non-compliant buses have been shared with two flying squads to ensure these buses do not transport schoolchildren, a City RTO official stated.
This report highlights the urgent need for compliance and strict enforcement to ensure the safety of school children across the state.