Data in RTO system not updated timely, resulting in unjust hefty penalties, a transporter alleged
By Dheeraj Fartode :
An inspection of school vehicles in Nagpur has revealed that a large number of school buses and vans are operating without valid fitness certificates posing a major safety risk to not only students but other road users too.
The data received from the Regional Transport Office (RTO), shows a glaring discrepancy in the compliance of school vehicles with mandatory safety regulations.
Of 809 school buses plying on city roads, 673 are certified fit while 136 are on the roads sans fitness certificates.
Additionally, of the 1,369 school vans operating in the city, 1,033 having valid fitness certificates while the certificate of 336 such vehicles has expired.
The data reveals that 16.8 per cent school buses and 24.6 per cent school vans either lack valid fitness certificates or are plying with expired certifications. The situation is a cause of worry for parents and school authorities.
In response to the findings, RTO Kiran Bidkar informed ‘The Hitavada’, “We have issued notices
to owners of the vehicles whose fitness certificates have expired or are missing. They have 15 days to renew the certificate. Failure to comply will result in challans and legal action.”
Another RTO official stressed that the fitness certificates are crucial for ensuring the safety of school vehicles for students. The current one-year validity period for these certificates must be scrutinized, with a reduction to six months to better align with the wear and tear experienced by school vehicles.
The fitness certification process has faced criticism from various stakeholders. A school bus operator, on the request of anonymity, shared his frustrations with the current system. “I recently obtained a fitness certificate, but my vehicle was still fined because the data wasn’t updated in the RTO’s system,” he said. “This has resulted in unjust penalties of over Rs 10,000/- which is unfair to operators like myself.”
Safety experts argue that the existing one-year validity for fitness certificates may not be adequate given the high usage and wear-and-tear of school vehicles. “The current certification period does not reflect the real-life conditions these vehicles operate under,” one expert commented. “A six-month validity could potentially address these problems and improve overall safety,”
he said.