Accidents on the rise, but MVD lenient on 'fitness' of school buses

THE recent fatal accidents that shook Kerala have sparked calls for stringent measures to reduce the number of mishaps.

- KRISHNA KUMAR K E @Kochi

However, the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has gone more lenient, allowing educational institution buses (EIB) whose fitness certificates have expired or about to expire soon, to continue plying for another four to five months.

So far, the practice was to withdraw the vehicles from service and carry out repair and maintenance works before subjecting them for fitness tests as and when their validity ended, even if it meant the vehicle couldn't be operated for two to three weeks during the academic year. The lone exemption was provided during the pandemic.

Now, as per the written directive issued to all deputy transport commissioners, regional and joint regional transport officers, the validity of the fitness certificate of all EIBs, whose fitness expired or is about to expire in the coming months, has been extended till April 2025.