Yogi govt cracks down on school transport to ensure student safety

Lucknow : Ensuring student safety, the Yogi Adityanath-led government conducted a statewide crackdown on unsafe school vehicles from July 1 to 15. During the drive, 46,748 of 67,613 registered school buses and vans (69% of the fleet) were inspected—revealing that 4,089 vehicles (over 8.7%) violated safety norms. Authorities issued 4,438 challans, seized 913 vehicles, and collected penalties totaling Rs 88.52 lakh. A total of 1,768 vehicles were found to be operating despite expired fitness certificates.

Following the campaign, the Transport Commissioner directed all RTOs and ARTOs to conduct monthly reviews of school vehicle operations. Emphasis has been placed on transparency, accountability, and stringent safety compliance to ensure that school transport becomes more reliable and secure for children across the state.

District-level reviews showed strong enforcement in regions like Prayagraj, Farrukhabad, Lucknow, and Kanpur Nagar, while Mau, Maharajganj, Deoria, Hapur, and Siddharthnagar lagged in inspections and enforcement efforts.

The Transport Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh has issued letters to all District Magistrates, Divisional Commissioners (as Chairpersons of Regional Transport Authorities), RTOs/ARTOs, and school principals regarding the safe operation of school vehicles.

The Commissioner has clearly directed that private vehicles operating without permits be seized immediately, and vehicles with expired fitness certificates must not be allowed to run. If any school is found violating rules, strict action should be taken in coordination with the District Education Department and the District Magistrate’s office.

All District Magistrates have been asked to activate the District School Vehicle Safety Committees, hold regular meetings, and closely monitor school transport safety. They must also ensure that private vehicles used for school transport are formally affiliated and authorized without delay.

Furthermore, all RTOs and ARTOs must conduct monthly reviews of the documents of school vehicles, check for proper safety equipment, and verify the police clearance and regular health checkups of drivers and attendants. School principals and managers have been clearly told that they are fully responsible for every vehicle (bus, van, or auto) operated by their school. Every school must immediately set up a ‘School Transport Safety Committee’ and make sure that all vehicles have valid documents, driver verification, and proper safety equipment.

No vehicle without proper approval or permit should be allowed to operate from school premises. If any accident or crime happens involving such vehicles, the school management will be held accountable.

The Transport Commissioner has emphasized that the operation of school vehicles must strictly follow the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, AIS-063, AIS-125, and especially the Uttar Pradesh Motor Vehicles Rules (26th Amendment), 2019. The main rules include:

• School-owned buses must obtain a Private Service Vehicle Permit (Form SR-23K) as per Section 76 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
• Privately operated contract buses must have a formal written agreement with the school and must get a valid permit (Form SR-21K) under Section 73 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
• For school vans (up to 13 seats), a formal written agreement between the vehicle owner and parents is mandatory. The permit application (Form SR-21B) must be submitted through the school management.
• A maximum age limit of 15 years has been fixed for school buses, contract buses, and vans.
• It is mandatory to form:
  -A District School Transport Safety Committee chaired by the District Magistrate.
  -A School Transport Safety Committee chaired by the school management.

– Police verification, regular training, and health check-ups of drivers and attendants are compulsory.

Transport Commissioner Brajesh Narayan Singh affirmed that negligence or violations in the operation of school vehicles will not be tolerated. Emphasizing zero tolerance for lapses in child safety, he urged officials, school managements, and vehicle operators to take immediate corrective measures. “Strict legal action will be taken against anyone found flouting the rules,” he warned.