Yamunanagar road accident: Autorickshaws ferrying school students continue to flout norms

Tribune News Service

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, April 15

While the government has launched a crackdown against private school buses, autorickshaws ferrying children continue to flout norms.

As per information, though autorickshaws are permitted to carry three passengers at a time, they are transporting about eight to nine people. There were six students in an auto when it met with an accident, claiming the life of an eight-year-old girl in Yamunanagar today.

Besides school buses, Will inspect autos too

After the Mahendragarh incident, we have intensified checking. We will run a campaign for autos too and ensure that they are fit and roadworthy. We will also run an awareness drive for parents and urge them to shift from autos to other safer modes of transportation. —Hairatjeet Kaur, DTO-Cum-Secretary, RTA, Yamunanagar

An official said since autos were privately hired by parents, the schools did not keep a track of such vehicles and even the departments concerned did not have information about the vehicles engaged in ferrying students.

The Surakshit School Vahan Policy talks about buses but there is nothing much about other vehicles. The lights of autos often don’t work and the body and mirrors are damaged.

A parent said: “Due to the timing and restriction of routes of school buses, parents engage e-rickshaws and autos to ferry their children to school. It is also a cheaper option for many. The government should ensure timely checking of these vehicles and that they are not overloaded.”

Hairatjeet Kaur, District Transport Officer-cum-Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Yamunanagar, said: “Parents hire autos privately. Only three passengers are allowed, but they overload the autos. Whenever auto drivers come for passing, we ask them to remove extra seats. The traffic police and our department keep checking them for overloading and issue challans.”

“After the Mahendragarh incident, we have intensified checking and private school buses are being inspected. We will further intensify checking and run a campaign for autos too. It will be ensured that the autos are fit and roadworthy. We will hold joint meetings with the Education Department and private school operators and ask them to take more responsibility and check how students are coming to school. We will also run an awareness drive for parents and urge them to shift from autos to other safer modes of transportation,” she added.

SP Ganga Ram Punia said: “All means of transport being used to ferry students are being checked. We will ensure that the guidelines and norms under the Motor Vehicles Act are followed.”

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