School buses to undergo automated fitness tests
SAFETY FEAR Order comes after a bus carrying 33 kids caught fire
NEW DELHI: From Wednesday, no manual fitness tests of school buses will be allowed in Delhi as the city transport department has issued an order for the school buses to undergo automated fitness tests. The order comes a week after 33 students had a narrow escape when the bus in which they were travelling caught fire.
At present, school buses and cabs are checked manually. Since it involves human intervention, allegations of corruption have surfaced in the process that has led to unfit vehicles plying on city roads. Commercial vehicles have to get a fresh fitness certificate from the transport authority on an annual basis, officials said.
“To ensure safety of children, I have directed that fitness test of all school buses will be conducted only in government’s automated test centre at Jhuljhuli. Automated fitness tests will ensure licensing officers have no discretion in issuing fitness certificates,” said KK Dahiya, special commissioner (transport). The directive also includes vehicles with all-india tourist permit.
Built on three acres of land and at a cost of ₹16 crore, the Jhuljhuli centre is going to be Delhi’s first fully automatic fitness centre. “Automation of fitness centres will improve quality of vehicles on road as everything from brakes, headlights and suspension to emissions will be checked by machines,” an official said.
Currently, fitness test of commercial vehicles, including taxis, auto-rickshaws and buses is conducted at the Burari centre. These tests are carried out manually after a visual check by motor licensing officers.
This could be why only 6,352 (3.6%) out of a total 1,77,065 vehicles that were tested at the centre failed fitness tests between March 2016 and February 2017.
Government’s own estimates suggest there are more than 25,000 cabs and buses that are illegally ferrying school children in the city. Only 9,105 cabs and 2,737 buses are actually registered.
In the next phase, it plans to make it mandatory for all school vans or cabs to take the automated test.