No blind spot mirror, dysfunctional panic button; 3,750 school buses fail fitness standards in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The inspection conducted by the Motor Vehicles Department in the state ahead of the new academic year found that 3,750 buses did not meet the required fitness standards. There are a total of 29,000 school buses.

The reason most buses fail to meet the fitness standards is that they do not have blind spot mirrors. This is a mirror that allows the driver to observe children getting off the bus. Even though there are cameras, buses without recording systems have not been issued fitness certificates. The panic button does not work in some buses.

The Motor Vehicles Department directed the vehicles to be re-examined for fitness tests after rectifying the deficiencies found, such as worn tyres, non-functioning signal lights and doors that do not close properly.

Most of the vehicles that failed the fitness test were from government schools. Authorities say the reason is insufficient funds. The MVD also found that some schools did not send their buses for fitness tests. Authorities said that buses that have not undergone the tests will not be allowed to operate with children.

There has been no fitness check of contract vehicles carrying school children. There are more than 10,000 such private buses and vans. Some school authorities have not provided the exact number of vehicles to the Motor Vehicles Department.