KOCHI: The head of the educational institution and the teacher in charge of a trip should also face the music if they allow students to travel in vehicles that flout safety norms. The Kerala High Court on Monday ordered that the law enforcement agencies should collect the details of the educational institutions if contract carriages are found to be used for trips unlawfully and take actions.
“In case any contract carriage is found in public place in connection with the educational tours of college and school students, the enforcement officer concerned or the police shall collect the details of the head of the institution and also the teacher who is in charge of the tour,” observed the court in the light of Vadakkenchery accident.
It is for the departments concerned to proceed against the educational institutions in accordance with the law for using such vehicles for carrying students as part of the study tour. The education agencies should not permit vehicles that had flouted the prescribed safety standards under the Motor Vehicles Act and rules to enter their educational institutions for any purpose whatsoever.
The educational agencies should also report forthwith to the station house officer and the enforcement officers concerned about such violations.The fact that vehicles that flouted the safety regulations were used for educational tours showed that the teachers were least bothered about the safety of their students. A Division Bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice P G Ajithkumar also issued an ultimatum stating that the police and motor vehicle department should ensure that no contract carriages and other vehicles are used in public places flouting the statutory norms.
The enforcement officers of the motor vehicle department and the police should conduct periodic inspections at night and take coercive steps including cancellation of the fitness certificates of thee vehicles found violating the safety regulations and driving licences of the drivers.The police should give necessary assistance to the enforcement officers during the inspections in contract carriages or transport vehicles.
The court also ordered that the owners of the contact carriages who make such alterations in transport vehicles spending several lakhs of rupees and the persons or agency which had installed unauthorised fitting such high-volume audio systems in the vehicles should be proceeded against.
The court said strict enforcement of the motor vehicle rules and regulations is highly essential to ensure the safety of passengers and other road users. The vehicles taken into custody should not be returned to the respective owner/user. Instead, after initiating prosecution, the vehicle must be produced before the magistrate court concerned and further proceedings taken based on the court’s orders.
Vloggers, alert
The HC stated that vloggers promoting such vehicles should also be proceeded against. The transport commissioner should ensure such videos are not uploaded on social media