Bhubaneswar, March 20:While mass awareness on road safety, is included in the school curriculum to save lives and curb road accidents that’s on the rise, about 31 percent of the buses carrying school students in prime Odisha cities are unsafe for road transport.
It was revealed after the Odisha Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, presented the database on the vehicles carrying toddler school students.
Jena informed the Odisha Legislative Assembly today that as many as 460 school buses are operating in Bhubaneswar without any valid fitness certificates.
In a written response, Jena informed the House that at least 1,484 school buses are registered in the capital city. However, 460 of them lack the necessary fitness certification, which determines the safety and security of the passengers onboard.
Despite the statutory lapses and the sorry state of enforcement, the defaulter buses continue to transport students on a regular basis on the busy streets in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, among other rural suburbs across the state.
The Minister also informed the House that at least 3322 10-year old buses are plying on Odisha routes.
The minister’s statement in the Odisha Assembly has wreaked panic among the parents and prompted them to think whether they will allow their wards in the unsafe Lorries or not, from the new academic session.
