RTO Shifts Burden To Parents As Illegal School Vans Roam Srinagar Roads

 

Rafiq Bhat 

 

Srinagar, May 16: In what is being seen as a shift in responsibility over the implementation of school transport safety norms, Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir Qazi Irfan on Saturday said that parents must follow Supreme Court guidelines while choosing transportation for their children.

 

The statement sparked concern as the Motor Vehicles Department is itself the primary authority responsible for enforcement of traffic laws and implementation of Supreme Court guidelines related to transportation safety.

 

The remarks come at a time when serious allegations are being raised regarding the continued operation of private vans and unauthorized vehicles by several schools in Srinagar city for ferrying school children, allegedly in violation of Supreme Court directions and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

 

The Supreme Court has laid down strict safety guidelines for school transportation across the country. The guidelines mandate that only authorized and properly registered school vehicles should be used for ferrying children. The directions also require installation of speed governors, fire extinguishers, first aid boxes, emergency exits, proper signage, trained drivers, attendants, and strict compliance with passenger capacity norms.

 

The apex court guidelines further prohibit use of unsafe and unauthorized private vehicles lacking mandatory commercial permits and safety mechanisms for transportation of school children.

 

However, parents and civil society groups allege that many schools in Srinagar continue to engage private vans which allegedly operate without proper permits, attendants, emergency equipment and safety measures, thereby putting the lives of school children at risk.

 

Legal experts said that while parents can exercise caution, the primary duty to enforce the law lies with the transport authorities and enforcement agencies.

They said implementation of Supreme Court guidelines cannot be left solely to parents when statutory authorities are empowered under law to regulate and penalize violations.

 

Meanwhile, the Motor Vehicles Department on Friday conducted a major enforcement drive across all districts of Kashmir division to ensure compliance with traffic regulations and enhance road safety.

 

The drive was conducted at multiple strategic locations, including high traffic and accident prone areas, under the supervision of RTO Kashmir Qazi Irfan with overall monitoring by Transport Commissioner J&K Vishesh Paul Mahajan.

 

Special teams were deployed to check violations such as driving without valid licences, overloading, non use of seat belts and helmets, use of mobile phones while driving and non-compliance with emission norms.

 

During the enforcement drive, a significant number of vehicles were inspected and 517 violators were issued challans. Officials said 70 vehicles were blacklisted on the spot, while 186 driving licences were recommended for suspension. A revenue of Rs 10.66 lakh was also realized under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

 

RTO Qazi said that the initiative aims to instill a sense of responsibility among motorists and reduce the incidence of road accidents.

 

“Public safety is our top priority. Such drives will continue in future to ensure adherence to traffic rules,” he added.

 

The department urged citizens to cooperate with enforcement agencies and strictly follow traffic rules for their own safety and that of others. Further drives are planned in the coming weeks as part of an ongoing campaign to promote safer roads across Kashmir.