Kanniyakumari Collector R. Alagumeena checked school buses and vans under the Nagercoil Regional Transport Office (RTO) at Scott Christian College in Nagercoil on Saturday, in the presence of District Superintendent of Police R. Stalin.

As part of the annual safety audit of school vehicles, officials carried out inspections to ensure that the vehicles were operating in accordance with government guidelines.

During the inspection, Ms. Alagumeena said that 315 school vehicles belonging to 85 schools under the Nagercoil educational district were examined. She added that guidelines, including step-in height (which should ideally be less than 250 metres), vehicle flooring, partition between driver and students and other safety measures were checked.

The installation of CCTV cameras in front and rear side of the vehicle, as well as speed governors were also verified.

The Collector noted that most of the vehicles were in good condition, while minor defects were found in a few. The owners of those vehicles were instructed to rectify the defects and present them for re-inspection within 15 days before operation.

School vehicles that met all government safety requirements were affixed with certification stickers for operation in the current academic year.

It was emphasised during the inspection that children must be transported safely. Drivers were instructed not to use mobile phones while driving, to wear seat belts and to ensure safety of the children during travel.

Following inspection, fire extinguishers were provided to drivers, along with a procedural explanation on handling them, in the event of fire.