School bus did not have a fitness certificate, RTA official suspended

Transport officials said that the school bus bearing registration number HR 66-A 7514 was also challaned by the district transport officer on March 13, 2023, for plying without a fitness certificate, without payment of tax and a high-security registration plate. A penalty of ₹15,500 was imposed, they said

The school bus transporting students of GL Public School, Kanina in Mahendergarh which met with an accident Thursday was plying without a fitness certificate. The mishap resulted in death of six school children while many were injured.

Locals near a damaged school bus after an accident near Mahendragarh in Narnaul district, Haryana on Thursday. (PTI)

Transport officials said that the school bus bearing registration number HR 66-A 7514 was also challaned by the district transport officer on March 13, 2023, for plying without a fitness certificate, without payment of tax and a high-security registration plate. A penalty of ₹15,500 was imposed, they said.

The state transport commissioner Yashendra Singh on Thursday ordered the suspension of Pradeep Kumar, an assistant secretary in the office of district transport officer cum secretary RTA, Mahendergarh, for failure to control the vehicles plying on the road without valid documents.

The suspension order said that due to this failure, the school bus bearing number HR 66-A 7514 belonging to GL Public School which was plying on the road without valid documents met with an accident today resulting in the death and injury of school children.

The transport commissioner in a separate communication to the district transport officers cum regional transport authorities (RTAs) on Thursday said that most of the school buses in the state were being operated in contravention of the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and rules made thereunder as well as that of Surakshit School Vahan Policy formulated by the government. “The matter has been considered at length and it has been decided by the government that all the district education officers should be requested to issue instructions to all the schools functional in the district to adhere to the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, and rules made thereunder as well as of Surakshit School Vahan Policy to ensure the safe ferrying of the school children,’’ said the communication.