School autos, vans in twin cities to be on police radar in Karnataka

HUBBALLI: School buses and vans carrying more children than permitted have come under the scanner with Hubballi and Dharwad police registering nearly 100 cases and seizing 11 vehicles for violating transport rules in the latest round of crackdown, reports J Abbas Mulla.
Police commissioner Labhuram said the action follows complaints from parents about school vehicles carrying more children beyond their limits, putting the lives of young ones at risk. "We have to put an end to the errant driving," he added.
The Hubballi-Dharwad police commissionerate has now turned its attention to school autorickshaws and vans and is cracking down on owners and drivers who transport schoolchildren beyond the capacity of their vehicles.
A special drive was carried out to ensure the safety of school-going children in the twin cities.
Traffic police said that the city police are working in accordance with the transport department to ensure the safety of schoolchildren.
Estimates suggest that as many as 96 cases were registered against owners or drivers of vehicles caught ferrying more children than the vehicle could seat.
In addition, they also seized 11 vehicles.
According to police commissioner Labhuram, the police have received several complaints about school vehicles. They decided to initiate action against them, for violating the law and carrying children beyond their permissible limits.
"We have started seizing and fining school vehicles. We have also planned to carry out a special drive, to put an end to the errant driving of school autorickshaws and vans," he added.
K Damodar, regional transport official of Hubballi East, said that school autorickshaws and vans should operate as per the permit.
The autos can accommodate six schoolchildren apart from a driver, and the vans should carry students as per the permit. The permit varies, based on the seating capacity of the vehicles, he said.
Damodar also said that the RTO department keeps fining traffic rule violators.
"We have not conducted any drives exclusively for school vehicles. We will soon conduct a special campaign to curb the violation of rules by school vehicles. We have already discussed a special drive with the commissioner of police, in an RTA meeting convened recently in Dharwad," he added.
Deputy commissioner of police Gopal Byakod said that the drive to levy fines on school autorickshaws and vans will continue.
He asked officials and staff to initiate action against permit violators, by keeping a close watch near schools. "It is very difficult to initiate action against school autorickshaws and vans2, by visiting all schools, but some major schools have been identified, where police personnel will visit and take action, if any violation is found," he added.