Hubballi: The unsafe and illegal overloading of school transport vehicles—autos, vans, and magic vehicles—is rampant in Hubballi, raising serious safety concerns among parents and road safety advocates.
Despite strict transport department rules capping auto-rickshaw capacity to six schoolchildren, many drivers are seen squeezing in 10 or more. Vans and magic vehicles, too, exceed their permitted limits, carrying over 20 students at a time.
Children are often found precariously seated on edges or beside drivers—some vehicles even lack doors. Such practices are a blatant violation of safety norms and continue unchecked on the city’s congested streets.
While drivers admit to the violations, they blame financial pressure, claiming that the monthly fees collected barely cover fuel and maintenance costs. Raising fares, they argue, would drive parents toward cheaper and possibly riskier alternatives.
The lack of enforcement by traffic police and transport officials has allowed the situation to worsen. Compounding the issue is the scarcity of formal school bus services in many neighbourhoods, leaving parents with no choice but to rely on these overcrowded and informal options.
Responding to growing complaints, Srikanth Badiger, RTO of Hubballi-Dharwad East, said inspectors have been instructed to engage with school authorities and launch awareness campaigns. A full-fledged operation to curb overloading is in the pipeline.
CR Raveesh, DCP (Crime & Traffic), confirmed that cases are being registered against violators, and an impounding drive will soon begin to penalize non-compliant vehicles.