DPS bus accident: All is well? No school bus in Bhopal fails RTO fitness test

BHOPAL: Around 2,000 school buses that ply on city roads daily go for fitness check to the regional transport office (RTO) every year, but, none of them gets rejected for poor fitness.
The issue came to fore after the accident involving a school bus in Indore that killed six schoolchildren and the driver on Friday. Concerns have been raised by parents and guardians over the quality of buses operating and their fitness in the state capital too.
An RTO official pleading anonymity said, “We deliberately don’t reject fitness application. If there is any shortcoming, we put the renewal on hold and ask them to get it rectified and come back. Rejection of application also have economic costs, as the owner or bus operator will be required to file the application again with the fees.”

“We issue them the fitness certificate only after the issue is rectified,” the official said.
Everyday around 90 vehicles come to the RTO for fitness certificate of which on an average 20 vehicles do not fulfill the criteria or are unfit.
He added, recently diesel buses from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi were being transferred in the city, which is a matter of concern.
Transport commissioner Shailendra Srivastava said, “I will get the buses checked which are transferred from other states. It found that poor condition diesel vehicles are being dumped in the state, we will take required action.”