Kochi: MVD to crack the whip on school buses which lack GPS

KOCHI: With schools set to open in a week's time, the Motor Vehicle Department is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safety of school vehicles. However, the GPS equipment which was made mandatory this year, is yet to be implemented in most buses and vans. According to MVD officers, out of the 300 vehicles which underwent the fitness test, 70 per cent still did not spot the equipment.  

Though the government had mandated that all buses under educational institutions should be fitted with GPS from April 1, it has been extended till June 1, following requests by school owners. Now, with hardly a few days remaining, most school buses are yet to spot the GPS equipment, according to officers. The MVD had recently conducted fitness tests on 300 school buses. "More than 70 per cent of vehicles are yet to install the GPS. We will fix stickers on vehicles which did not install the equipment even after the test, to easily identify them once the school re-opens," said Bijumon S P, motor vehicle inspector.

According to him, once the GPS is installed, it should be tagged with the Kerala MVD site Suraksha-Mitr. However, since the proposal is very new, there are a few technical glitches in GPS-tagging and the MVD is working on it, said Bijumon. "Presently, high traffic on the website is also an issue which is also one of the reasons for the delay in GPS tagging," he said. 

Meanwhile, the MVD has already assigned a special squad to monitor school buses during the first week of the new academic year, to nab those buses plying without an 'all pass' sticker.

MVD Guidelines
As per MVD guidelines, the vehicles which fail to clear the fitness test will not be allowed on vehicle duty. The vehicles which pass the test should also display details of the school, contact numbers of RTO, child helpline, emergency and the police. It is also mandated that all students should be ensured a seat in the vehicle awnd students below 12 years can share a seat between two. Also, the driver should have 10 years of driving experience and a caretaker to attend the students.

The condition of the brakes, doors, tyres and seats will be subjected to tests. Luggage facility and speed governors are also ensured.  To create more awareness, the department is organising compulsory road safety classes for drivers and caretakers.