Karnataka books 10,237 cases against school vehicles in three years; Bengaluru tops list

Transport Department officials said that the department has been conducting inspections of school buses, vans and other vehicles used to transport students to ensure they meet mandatory safety requirements and that operators comply with regulations. | Photo Credit: File photo The Karnataka Transport Department has booked 10,237 cases against school vehicles for violations related to safety and other mandatory requirements in the past three years, according to department data accessed by The Hindu.Bengaluru Urban recorded the highest number of cases at 3,244, followed by Hassan with 1,169 cases and Kolar with 674 cases. Other districts also reported a significant number of violations. Mangaluru recorded 371 cases, Mysuru 351, Belagavi 297, Kalaburagi 295, Ramanagara 222, and Mandya and Hubballi-Dharwad 204 cases each.The figures highlight continued violations among vehicles used to transport schoolchildren, raising concerns over compliance with prescribed safety norms. Transport Department officials said that the department has been conducting inspections of school buses, vans and other vehicles used to transport students to ensure they meet mandatory safety requirements and that operators comply with regulations. “The cases booked against school buses and vans were related to violations of prescribed safety and operational requirements. These included lack of valid fitness certificates or permits, overloading beyond the permitted seating capacity, non-compliance with speed limits, absence of required safety equipment such as fire extinguishers and first-aid kits, defective brakes, tyres, lights and other essential components, failure to display mandatory ‘School Bus’ or ‘On School Duty’ markings, and other violations of motor vehicle and school-transport safety norms,” an official said.Awareness programmesAccording to the department, it is also conducting awareness programmes to highlight the importance of school-transport safety. “Apart from regular enforcement and violation checks, we have instructed all RTOs across the State to regularly interact with school administrations and create awareness about the importance of school-transport safety,” the official said. “The focus is not only on taking action against violations but also on ensuring that schools, drivers and management understand their responsibilities towards the safety of children. RTO officials have been asked to sensitise school authorities about mandatory safety measures, proper maintenance of buses and vans, driver compliance, and the safe boarding and de-boarding of students,” the official added.Stronger enforcementMeanwhile, B.N. Yogananda, General Secretary of the RTE Students’ and Parents’ Association said the State government needs to strengthen the implementation of safety measures for school vehicles and ensure better coordination between the Police and Transport departments. Mr. Yogananda said that the then Bengaluru City Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi had issued strict safety directives for school vehicles to protect children from transport-related risks. However, he said the measures had not been effectively implemented across the State. “Drivers of school vehicles should undergo mandatory police verification, as this can significantly improve the safety of children. The Police and Transport Departments need to work together and regularly monitor compliance,” he said.He also expressed concern that many school administrations were not taking student transport safety seriously. “The existing system needs to be streamlined and implemented effectively across the State. The number of checks and enforcement measures is insufficient,” he said.Mr. Yogananda said that the association had earlier submitted 36 recommendations to the Chief Secretary, including measures related to school trips, but inter-departmental coordination remained a major concern. “The government has a greater responsibility to ensure that these measures are implemented effectively and that school transportation is made safer for children,” he said. Published - August 26, 2026 09:16 pm IST