THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The public outcry that follows a major accident involving buses taking students on a tour results in calls for tougher measures. But as the dust settles down, the bus operators often resort to rule violations, making a mockery of the safety systems. Also, a lack of awareness among tour organisers about safety guidelines put students’ lives in danger.
Though there are rules and regulations on conducting tours, the school managements seldom follow them, said an officer with the motor vehicles department (MVD). The MVD had issued guidelines to the education department following an incident in which a college tour bus from Kannur to Goa caught fire in April. As per the guidelines, educational institutions should inform the regional transport office concerned about the trip. The MVD officials will then check the fitness of the bus and the credentials of its driver. The general education department has already issued a directive not to allow travel between 9pm and 6am. However, these rules are rarely followed as the students seek thrill over safety, said the officer.
“The senior students get to choose the bus for the trip. They usually opt for vehicles with a high-decibel sound system and colourful lighting, which are illegal. High sound and flashy lights cause distraction, leading to accidents,” said the officer. There were instances in which unauthorised electrical fittings caused fire accidents and hindered the rescue operation.
According to him, most of the tour operators tamper with the speed governor of vehicles. The bus involved in the accident at Vadakkenchery was travelling at 97.2 km per hour when the maximum limit was 80 km per hour.
Also, the MVD is blamed for not being proactive enough in carrying out the enforcement drives to act against repeat offenders. The bus involved in the accident on Thursday was fitted with an unauthorised light system and was fined multiple times for violation. “When we issue a notice for violation, bus operators produce vehicles after fixing everything to get a clean chit. But they go back to illegal methods because of the demand from students. The mobile enforcement squad has its limitations,” said an enforcement RTO.
Kerala Road Safety Authority executive director T Elangovan said installation of GPS systems in buses would help reduce accidents. “Once we have the GPS system, we can track the movement of vehicles. It will also give us information on the travel history and stops taken by the vehicle,” he said.