Andhra Pradesh’s NTR District Collector M Purendra said that about 30 per cent of the school buses are not fit to ply on the roads as they lack a fitness certificate.

On Tuesday, June 13, the officials in the district were directed to conduct strict fitness test of school buses transporting students. Fitness certificates have been granted to 1,091 out of 1,559 school buses across the district.

The Deputy Transport Commissioner also held a meeting with school and college bus operators on Friday, June 9 at the Deputy Trasnport Commissioner (DTC) office on rules and regulations for school buses. He said that activities have been designed to carry out awareness programmes for parents, students and drivers in all major towns of the district.

"Measures have been taken to ensure that fitness tests are conducted strictly to avoid any untoward incidents this year as well. While there are 1,559 school buses in the district, 1,274 of them ply in the limits of the DTC office, Vijayawada, 235 in Regional Transport Office (RTO) Nandigama limits and 50 buses in the limits of the unit office in Jaggayyapet," the DTC added.

As per Rule 185 (G), Andhra Pradesh Motor Vehicles Rules, 1969, 32 items for school buses and 23 items for college buses are examined as part of the fitness tests, the official said.