Private schools instructed to ensure safety regulations in buses

PESHAWAR: The transport department has given private educational institutions a one-week ultimatum till August 15 to comply with its orders to ensure mandatory inspection of school buses.

The department issued the instructions in a letter to the managing director of the Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PRSA) and the chairman of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Private Schools Association.

It warned that non-compliance will lead to the confiscation of vehicles. The transport department said it had directed private schools to have their buses inspected and certified as roadworthy for student safety during a meeting on July 1.

It said none of the private schools complied with the decision to produce their buses for inspection and not even a single vehicle was produced for the checking at the offices of the motor vehicle examiners in any districts of the province.

It added that the letter is the final notice of one-week ultimatum ending on August 15, 2024 to produce vehicles at the offices of the motor vehicles examiners for inspection.

The letter said in case of failing to produce school buses for fitness certification, the directorate of transport along with traffic police and district administration would launch an enforcement campaign against the vehicles of private schools that are not fit for roads or do not possess fitness certificates.

`The responsibility for any inconvenience caused to school students will entirely lie on the shoulders of the owners and operators of the private schools.

The department asked the PSRA and schools association to direct the privately owned educational institutions in the province to produce buses for inspection in the offices of the motor vehicle examiners for the issuance of fitness certificates to roadworthy vehicles.

The department set the July 31 deadline for schools to present their buses for inspection at the offices of the district motor vehicle examiners. However, it was reported that not a single private school had produced their vehicles.

In December 2021, the department had decided to ban the private school buses registered before Dec 2000 or with the model year of 2000. In Jan 2022, the department decided that private educational institutions would share the details of their vehicles and drivers for examination.

However, the educational institutions ignored the government directive to present buses for inspection in 2022. Private schools across the province are operating about 1500 old, rickety buses.