Fatal School Bus Crash Puts Spotlight on IPTS Buses Seized Earlier by Transport Department: How Were Multiple School Buses Allowed to Operate Under One Registration Number?

Budgam, June 12, KNT: The fatal school bus accident in Budgam’s Behanwar area on Friday has cast fresh scrutiny on IPTS School, Khansahib, whose transport fleet had recently come under the scanner of authorities over alleged registration irregularities involving multiple buses

The accident claimed the life of driver Shahid Ahmad Lone and left two little girl students injured after the school bus skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge.

What has emerged as a major point of concern is that the bus involved in the accident was reportedly operating without a registration number displayed on the vehicle, prompting questions about its legal and regulatory status.

The development assumes significance in light of action taken earlier this year by the Transport Department against the school. Official records lying with the news agency Kashmir News Trust show that the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Budgam, had reported that three buses linked to IPTS School were found operating with the same registration number, JK04F-5647, while two of those vehicles were shown as unregistered. The buses were subsequently seized by the department.

Sources said the seized vehicles were later released through court proceedings and resumed operation.

Although authorities have not yet confirmed whether the accident vehicle was among the buses previously flagged by the Transport Department, the absence of a registration number on the crashed bus has reignited serious concerns about compliance and enforcement.

The case has raised uncomfortable questions for regulators and school authorities alike. How could multiple buses allegedly operate under the same registration number? Why were two vehicles reportedly found unregistered? Were the deficiencies rectified after the seizure? And what was the registration status of the vehicle involved in Friday’s fatal accident?

Parents and local residents have demanded answers, arguing that school transport vehicles carry the responsibility of transporting children and therefore require the highest standards of regulatory compliance and safety oversight.

With one person dead and two students hospitalized, stakeholders are now seeking a comprehensive probe into not only the circumstances of the accident but also the operational and legal status of the school’s transport fleet. [KNT]