Pimpri-Chinchwad Regional Transport Office (RTO) has taken action against 171 school bus drivers after inspecting 280 buses transporting school children across the city.

The RTO imposed fines totaling 17.47 lakh rupees on drivers who violated various provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Pimpri-Chinchwad has a total of 2,957 registered school buses, and rickshaws are also commonly used to transport school children.

Following a recent incident in Pune where two young girls were assaulted by a school bus driver, the RTO launched a special inspection campaign across different parts of the city.

The campaign aimed to ensure the safety and compliance of school transport vehicles, resulting in the inspection of 280 school buses.

Violations included operating without a valid permit or breaching permit conditions, lacking necessary fitness certificates, making unauthorized modifications to vehicles, overloading beyond the permitted capacity, and failing to pay required taxes. The RTO deployed seven special teams to carry out the inspections and take action against the violators.

Deputy Regional Transport Officer Rahul Jadhav stated that the RTO had conducted inspections in several parts of the city specifically targeting vehicles used for school transportation.

Of the buses inspected, 171 drivers were found to have violated regulations, leading to fines being levied against them.

The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) has recently mandated all educational institutions to register their transport vehicles online. This action comes as authorities aim to increase safety measures and prevent further incidents involving students.