40% School Buses Declared Unfit In Visakhapatnam

The schools have finally reopened after a long summer vacation and only 60% of school buses in the city have obtained no-objection certificates. The RTA officials have reportedly stated that over a 100 buses are yet to obtain the certificate.

The RTA officials have directed the government from this academic year to keep a strict watch on the maintenance of their buses. The move has been made keeping in mind the accidents that took place in the state in the last two years. Out of the 1148 buses in the city, only 705 obtained the NOC till Monday. 250 new buses have been ingrained in the system as the RTA has asked school officials to not use old vehicles.

100 buses are yet to approach the RTA for this test in Visakhapatnam. The tests are being conducted in rural areas too and out of the 400 buses under Narsipatnam, 90% have undergone and passed the test. The RTA has instructed school officials to take school buses that have been in use since 15 years out of rotation.

With almost all schools and colleges having re-opened on Monday, the buses now come equipped with speed governors. The RTA officials have tested the speed limits on all these buses, ensuring they come equipped with reflectors and first aid kids. They even ensured that there was enough gap between seats, emergency windows and fire equipment in the buses.

Story Credit: The Hans India