Hyderabad: With the new academic session set to begin on June 12, parents of school-going children are increasingly worried — not about academics, but about how safely their children will travel to and from school.Their concerns are not unfounded.Less than two weeks before schools reopen, about 55% of the 14,200 school buses operating across Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Ranga Reddy districts are yet to complete the fitness-clearance process. According to transport officials, these buses have either not been presented for mandatory inspections or were found to have safety deficiencies that remain unrectified.The latter is particularly worrying.Transport department officials said the most common deficiencies identified during inspections include worn-out tyres, faulty braking systems, damaged steering components, missing first-aid kits and inadequate fire-safety equipment.“Each of these are serious issues that cannot be ignored. There were several cases where buses have been found to have steering or braking issues,” said a motor vehicle inspector.“The remaining buses are yet to approach us for checks. Some were found violating norms and were marked pending. They will be issued fitness certificates only after the deficiencies are rectified,” said G Sadanandam, deputy transport commissioner, Ranga Reddy district.He warned that buses not certified as “fit” by the department would not be allowed on the roads once the new academic session begins.A month-long special enforcement drive will be conducted after schools reopen. Any bus found operating without a valid fitness certificate will be seized.“The management will be served a notice, asked to provide an explanation and pay the applicable compounding fee. They will also be directed to obtain fitness clearance within seven days,” the official said.Authorities said the same action would be taken against buses that fail inspections as well as those that never appeared for fitness checks but continue to operate.Monitoring drivers’ health is keyOfficials also stressed the importance of monitoring drivers’ health to ensure student safety.Motor Vehicle Inspector K Kiran Kumar said drivers are not screened as part of the vehicle fitness-certification process.“We check whether drivers are below 50 years of age. We organise three health camps every year and ask schools to send drivers for eyesight and other health screenings,” he said.Transport officials said around 400 to 500 school-bus drivers typically attend these camps. While most are found fit to drive, screenings have identified cases of hypertension, diabetes, eyesight-related problems and heart ailments among some drivers, Kiran said.Parents flag reckless driving“It was the first day of my son’s school when I saw the bus cut through lanes, with several students sticking their hands outside the windows. That day I decided I could not let them travel like this every day,” said Kishore, a parent and former president of the Hyderabad Schools Parents Association (HSPA), adding that he began dropping and picking up his children thereafter.“We have repeatedly raised these concerns with school authorities. Parents have often questioned whether schools conduct proper health checks of drivers before hiring them. Schools say they do, but the behaviour of some drivers on the road tells a different story,” he said.Another parent from Hyderabad recalled an instance when her child was dropped on a busy road because of a traffic jam near their home.“Our house is in a narrow lane where traffic congestion is common. This one time, my child was dropped on the main road, nearly 90 metres away from our house. Vehicles move at high speed on that stretch. When I raised the issue with the school, the driver was let off with a warning,” said Jameela Tabassum, a parent from Yousufguda.Current HSPA president Venkata Sainath said concerns surrounding school transport extend beyond vehicle fitness.“We have encountered instances where drivers consume alcohol before they are scheduled to pick up students. Despite attendants being present, there have been complaints of bullying and violence inside buses. Concerns over reckless driving and road behaviour are not new,” he said.‘Student safety remains a priority’: SchoolsSchools, however, maintained that multiple safeguards are in place to ensure students travel safely.“We have GPS tracking systems, CCTV cameras and fire-safety equipment in all our buses. There is also a female staff member on every bus to ensure students are safe,” said Dr Maya Sukumar, quality advisor, Geetanjali Group of Schools.School managements said complaints related to transportation are rare and are addressed immediately when reported.“If a student is ever left behind accidentally, we ensure the child is escorted home safely. Around 70% of our students use school transport and their safety remains our responsibility,” Maya Sukumar said.Some schools said they have also introduced surprise checks to monitor driver behaviour.“We conduct surprise breathalyser tests on drivers at regular intervals. Instead of checking everyone at once, drivers are tested in batches without prior notice to ensure transparency and compliance,” said Vasireddy Amarnath, Chairman, Slate Group of Schools.Schools further said they conduct periodic health assessments of drivers and verify their credentials before assigning them transport duties.“We verify vehicle fitness certificates and driving licences and encourage regular health check-ups for drivers. Student safety is always the first priority,” Maya Sukumar said.Other vehicles also unsafeParents have also flagged concerns over inadequate school transportation, forcing many families to rely on private vans, autos or personal vehicles.“In the school my son studies, there are nearly 5,000 students. Not all can be dropped off by their parents. Many have no option but to depend on autos or vans, which are often overcrowded and unsafe,” said Soudia Annavarapu, a parent in Hyderabad.She said she has witnessed several instances of vans and autos carrying more students than they can safely accommodate.“In one such case, I saw children pushing a van that had broken down on a flyover. How safe can it be for a child, who may not even understand road-safety rules, to get down from a vehicle on a busy flyover in the first place?” she said.Parents also said most schools do not maintain records of external vehicles that pick up and drop students, or monitor whether those drivers are properly certified and complying with safety norms.EXPERT SPEAKRoad-safety expert Dheerendra Samineni said vehicle fitness alone cannot guarantee student safety.“Most schools focus on the experience of bus drivers, but regular training and skill upgradation are equally important. Vehicle technology is evolving rapidly and drivers must be trained periodically to keep pace with these changes. At present, only a handful of schools conduct refresher training programmes for drivers before the academic year begins, whereas such training should be mandatory,” he said.According to him, road safety rests on four pillars — good roads, responsible road users, competent drivers and roadworthy vehicles.“During fitness inspections, authorities should pay special attention to critical components such as tyres, brakes and rear lights. Vehicles with deficiencies should not be cleared until the defects are rectified,” Samineni added.
