Govt run spl buses for school students poorly maintained: DMK

: Opposition DMK today demanded that the Directorate of School Education frequently inspect buses run by it for transporting school children and ensure that fleet operators from whom the vehicles are outsourced maintained them properly.
Convenor of the local unit of DMK Dr M A S Subramanian said in a release here that the directorate was operating the buses for benefit of the students by outsourcing the vehicles from the private sector. On most occasions the 'ill maintained buses' pose threat to students' safety. There were also instances of drunk driving by the drivers, he said.
He alleged that bus operators who want to skip paying toll on the highways ensure that the vehicles are taken through alternative routes which also pose insecurity to students.

To overcome these, the Directorate together with Transport authorities should deploy road inspectors and check the vehicles and also ascertain if the drivers had the necessary licences and take action against defaulters, he said.