Udupi Police Crack Down on Unsafe School Transport; 282 Cases Booked

Udupi: Responding to growing public concern over the unsafe operation of school vehicles, the Udupi District Police, under the leadership of Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar, launched a large-scale inspection drive across the district.

During the campaign, nearly 930 school transport vehicles were inspected, resulting in 282 cases being registered and fines totaling ₹1,58,000 being collected.

At a press meet held at the DYSP office on Thursday, SP Shankar detailed the violations found: one case involved driving under the influence, 39 vehicles lacked valid documents, 48 were found overloaded with children, and 194 had other traffic violations. The operation was carried out with the support of 5 inspectors, 30 sub-inspectors, and a team of constables.

SP Shankar firmly instructed school authorities to immediately correct all irregularities. He emphasized that vehicles must have proper documentation, adhere strictly to student capacity norms, and ensure all safety measures are in place within a week. Non-compliant vehicles will be seized without delay.

The drive was prompted by repeated reports of overcrowded school vans, unsafe autorickshaw practices, and buses operating without valid fitness certificates—raising serious safety concerns.

Before schools reopened, meetings were held with autorickshaw drivers to reinforce safety rules. One alarming incident involved a parent driving children while intoxicated, underscoring the need for strict enforcement.

SP Shankar assured that enforcement will be managed to minimize disruption to school routines. Parents were urged not to compromise safety by overloading vehicles to save money.

Read Also:

Related Topics