Imphal, Sept 23: A joint team comprising Bishnupur Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), launched a crackdown on school van drivers for overcrowding their vehicles with students in Bishnupur District on Monday.
The drive is part of a larger initiative to curb the dangerous practice of transporting more students than the legal limit allows, which poses a serious risk to their safety. This action is backed by a 2015 directive issued by the Transport Department, Government of Manipur, through Manipur Gazette Extraordinary No. 385, which mandates that school vehicles must not carry students exceeding 1.5 times their registered seating capacity.
This enforcement effort follows growing concerns over overcrowded school vehicles, which not only violate the law but also increase the likelihood of accidents. The issue has been taken seriously by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety (SCORS) as well.
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, in a post on his official Facebook page, praised the efforts of the combined forces and announced that similar drives would be conducted in other districts. He warned that violators would face strict penalties, including license suspension.
Additionally, in a statement released on Monday, The Traffic Control Police Wing, Manipur, has urged schools and vehicle operators to strictly follow the guidelines to safeguard students’ well-being. Under the authority of Manipur Gazette Extraordinary No. 189 dated 7th September 2019, penalties under Section 194A of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, will be imposed on violators.
