Patiala, June 17:
Additional Deputy Commissioner Navreet Kaur Sekhon said that all school transport vehicles in Patiala district will be inspected under the Safe School Vehicle Policy. A detailed inspection schedule has been prepared by the Regional Transport Office (RTO), and checks will begin in each sub-division of the district starting in July.
The inspection teams will include officials from the offices of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), RTO, Education Department, Police, Municipal Councils, and Punjab Roadways (Assistant Mechanical Engineer).
During a meeting of the District Road Safety Committee, ADC Sekhon also emphasized the need to review and strengthen School-Level Transport Committees in all schools. Institutions that have not yet set up these committees must do so without delay. She added that training sessions for school bus drivers and conductors will be organized in the coming days.
Traffic-related issues from different areas of the city were also discussed in the meeting. The Public Works Department shared that planning and design work for slip roads near Hanuman Mandir on Jail Road and near Thapar Chowk on Bhadson Road has been completed, and coordination is underway with concerned departments for implementation. Further instructions were given to explore solutions for traffic congestion near Dulladi Gate in Nabha and Tiwana Chowk on Bhadson Road in Patiala.
Regional Transport Officer Babbandeep Singh Walia said that school vehicles are being evaluated against 30 safety parameters, and challans are being issued on the spot for any violations. SP Achharu Ram Sharma reported that 272 school vehicles and 1,050 over-speeding cases have been fined.
The Education Cell has conducted 221 awareness sessions in schools and with transport unions to promote road safety.
The meeting was attended by SDMs, District Education Officer Sanjeev Sharma, Deputy DEO Manvinder Kaur, DDPO Mahinderjit Singh, Dr. Divjot Singh, and Patiala Foundation head Mr. Ravi Ahluwalia.
