Bhubaneswar: The transport department has decided to start inspecting fitness of public transport vehicles, especially passenger and school buses to ensure safety of passengers.

According to norms, the fitness certificate of these vehicles are valid for two years from the date of registration and the owner needs to renew it every year subsequently through the Regional Transport Office.

The transport officials renew the fitness every year after inspecting the vehicle.

A transport official said they would check almost every aspect of the vehicle such as braking system, light, tyres and gearbox to ensure that it is fit to ply.

"The minimum penalty for not having a valid fitness certificate is Rs 2,500. it can go up to Rs 5,000, while the penalty for any subsequent offence is Rs 10,000," said regional transport officer Bhubaneswar II, S.K Behera.

Regional transport officials also said insurance companies could choose to deny insurance claims in case of an accident in the absence of valid fitness certificates.

Last October, the Bhubaneswar Regional Tran-sport Office had started a special drive at the Baramunda bus terminal and found around 30 passenger buses plying with special permits which are usually given to tourists buses. "School buses will also be on our priority list as these ferry children. We will also inspect the buses running under the city bus service from the state capital," said a transport official. In December, BJP members had alleged that several city buses were running without fitness certificates.

In November 2013, the Bhubaneswar transport office had found 42,124 vehicles plying without valid certificates. These included 386 buses, 151 ambulances and 284 school buses.

"Bus owners must approach us before their fitness certificates expire so that we can renew it. They must not play with the lives of passengers," added the official.