Alok Mishra
Patna: The State Transport department has taken a major step to ensure safe operation of school buses and strict implementation of road safety rules. The power of allotment of permits for School buses has been delegated to District Transport Officers (DTOs) in non-divisional /non-regional districts. Now DTOs will issue school bus permits in districts other than divisional districts. At the same time, permits will be issued by the regional districts at the level of Regional Transport Authority (RTA) as before.
Transport secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal informed that earlier school buses were being given permits only at the level of regional transport authority. In view of public interest, the power to issue school bus permits has been delegated to DTOs. Bus owners or operators in all districts will no longer need to go to RTA office of divisional commissioner’s office to get a school bus permit. “Now you will be
able to get a school bus permit from district transport office of districts concerned,” he added.
The Transport Secretary informed that action will be taken to cancel permits of buses violating road safety rules. He said that action
would be taken against bus owners and operators who do not have permits or do not meet safety standards. Periodically school bus
permits and other safety standards will be examined by DTO and MVI, Agarwal said.
Agarwal said that the power delegated to the DTOs will facilitate bus owners. He said that this will not only save bus owners’ time, but there will also be no need to come to commissionary from districts for a permit.