At least 37 children were injured after an overloaded mini tempo ferrying students of a Belagavi private school overturned in Savadatti taluk of the district on Friday morning, police said.
The mini tempo had a seating capacity of 12, and over a dozen students including highschoolers were made to sit in the driver’s cabin, police said, adding that none of the children were seriously injured. The driver was unhurt.
After the accidents, local residents helped the students exit the tempo and took them to a government hospital in Bailhongal, where the students were discharged after being administered first-aid. “No student sustained major injuries... the students were asked to rest after they were administered first-aid and after some time they were discharged,” head nurse, Parvati Naik, at the emergency ward of the hospital said.
“The mini tempo has the permit to accommodate 12 adult passengers. Since extra space is available with children inside... maybe you can seat 20 kids... however, 37 children, including high school students, is too high a number...,” parents of one of the students involved in the accident told HT.
The then deputy commissioner of Belagavi, N Jayaram said banned carrying more than six students in an auto rickshaw after one over crowded students carrying rickshaw was overturned in Belagavi about five years ago. All the RTOs in Belagavi implemented the order of the deputy commissioner.
{{/usCountry}}The then deputy commissioner of Belagavi, N Jayaram said banned carrying more than six students in an auto rickshaw after one over crowded students carrying rickshaw was overturned in Belagavi about five years ago. All the RTOs in Belagavi implemented the order of the deputy commissioner.
{{/usCountry}}Ramadurga regional transport officer (RTO) Rajendra Barigidad said the department does not have enough manpower to conduct checks on vehicles carrying passengers more than their capacity.
“The area under my jurisdiction – Ramadurga and Savadatti taluk in Belagavi – needs three transport inspectors, however all posts are vacant...,” he said, adding that the schools must follow the RTO guidelines and parents must refuse to send their kids to school in vehicles carrying more passengers than their capacity.
The RTO office in Belagavi has only 13 RTOs against the required number of 34.