Nagpur school bus checks: 277 vehicles booked, 44 permits cancelled
RTO inspected 1,729 Nagpur school buses this year, seizing 10 on the spot and permanently cancelling 44 permits for violations.
The transport department has tightened scrutiny of school buses in Nagpur city following safety concerns. Inspections of school buses operating in the city have found large-scale violations of rules.
The Regional Transport Office, or RTO, inspected a total of 1,729 school buses this year. Of these, 277 buses were found violating the Motor Vehicles Act and related rules, resulting in action including e-challans.
During the inspections, RTO officials checked permits, valid fitness certificates, insurance, fire extinguishers, vehicle fitness, and safety standards such as prescribed seating capacity and the number of children on board. Ten school buses with serious deficiencies were seized on the spot.
The inspections also found some buses running on the roads with children without valid fitness certificates. The department adopted a zero-tolerance policy in such cases. Officials said no negligence would be tolerated in matters concerning the safety of school children.
The permits and registration of 44 school buses that failed to comply with rules have been permanently cancelled, causing alarm among bus owners. The transport department made clear that the school bus inspection drive will continue in the coming days.
To further strengthen bus safety arrangements, several major changes have been made to the school bus rules under a notification dated 16 July 2026. Under the new rules, fitting panic buttons and VLTD, or Vehicle Location Tracking Devices, has been made mandatory in school buses. CCTV cameras and fire detection and alert systems have also been made mandatory. Technical measures such as making CCTV footage available to fire alert system panels have also been added to the rules. Bus owners have been given three months to comply with these new provisions.
Regional Transport Officer Kiran Birkar said the safety of school children is the department's top priority. She said regular inspections of school buses are underway, and action including e-challans, vehicle seizure and permit cancellation is being taken against rule-breakers. She said there would be no compromise on children's safety at any level and bus owners must follow all prescribed safety standards. She said special inspection drives against violators will continue in the future.
