Jamshedpur: East Singhbhum traffic police is planning to launch a crackdown along with the district transport office (DTO) on overloaded school vans and autorickshaws.

"At the moment, we are focusing on helmet checking and other traffic violations and waiting for the schools to act on the district administration's directive on school buses," said DSP (composite control room) and traffic in-charge Sudhir Kumar said.

The district administration had on July 2015 fixed the number of children that can be ferried to schools by different vehicles. According to the order, four children below 12 or three over 12 can be seated in a petrol-run small auto, eight kids under 12 or seven over 12 in a van, and 18 under 12 or 13 over 12 in a big SUV.

Drivers can be fined Rs 2,000 for overloading.

Traffic cops are also planning to change their strategy so that the students are not inconvenienced.

Usually crammed school vans and autos drop off students a few metres away from the place where the crackdowns are conducted, forcing kids to walk all the way to the schools. "We have decided to conduct random checking drives and seize errant vehicles after they drop off students at school," Kumar said.

Drawing attention to the manpower crunch, the official said it was difficult to engage around 150 traffic cops, who worked on shifts, to keep a tab on crammed school vans besides carrying out their regular duties that comprise helmet checking and penalising illegally parked vehicles.

Umesh Kumar, the patron of Jamshedpur Abhibhavak Sangh (an outfit espousing the cause of parents), said school buses were the only solution to the problem.

"There are chances of school pool vans speeding to escape being caught by traffic cops, which in turn, will enhance the probability of mishaps. The drive will also make the pool operators increase fares that will further affect parents overburdened with high school fees. Bus facility should be made mandatory in all schools," he said.

East Singhbhum DC Amit Kumar had on Sunday decided to hold a meeting with school authorities for bus facility.