Ranchi: State transport minister Deepak Birua on Thursday ordered for a 10-day statewide drive to identify unsafe vehicles used for ferrying school students. Institutions are required to ensure compliance with transport safety norms and share complete vehicle details with authorities, he said.Birua said the initiative is aimed not only at penalising violations but also at enforcing responsibility among schools. “All district transport officers must identify such vehicles within 10 days and take action as per rules. At the same time, school managements must ensure transport standards and student safety by maintaining complete records of every vehicle and sharing them with the district transport department,” he said.He stressed that schools cannot allow vehicles lacking valid fitness or documentation to operate. “If a vehicle is not fit, the owner must first correct all documents before using it for student transport. Running private vehicles commercially is illegal. Schools must verify these aspects before engaging any vehicle, otherwise strict action will follow,” Birua said, adding that deputy commissioners have been asked to ensure swift implementation of the drive.
District officials said inspections will focus on both vehicle condition and adherence to school transport norms. Ramgarh DTO Anurag Tiwari said that verification teams have been deployed to audit records submitted by schools. Seraikela-Kharsawan DTO Girija Shankar Mahato said the checks will go beyond paperwork to include safety compliance. “We are examining whether buses are equipped with fire extinguishers, protective window grills, valid permits and properly identified drivers,” he said.
