LUCKNOW, July 12 -- The transport department's month-long drive to ensure school buses and vans comply with mandatory safety norms appears to have slowed down in Lucknow, with a shortage of enforcement staff and administrative priorities affecting inspections. Official records show notices have been issued to operators of 493 school buses and vans for deficiencies in mandatory documents, including fitness certificates, insurance, pollution-under-control (PUC) certificates, permits and other statutory requirements. While some operators have rectified the deficiencies, many are yet to comply and a substantial number have not responded to the notices, officials said. The drive was launched on directions from the government to verify the safety and legal compliance of school transport vehicles during July. Vehicle operators were also given an additional week to complete pending documentation before enforcement action began. However, the pace of inspections has weakened because the Lucknow Regional Transport Office is functioning with only one assistant regional transport officer (enforcement) on the ground. The remaining enforcement posts are vacant after recent transfers, and replacement officers are yet to be posted, confirmed Vimal Rajan, regional manager, Lucknow City Transport Service Limited. RTO (enforcement) Prabhat Pandey said several of the school buses and vans yet to comply with the prescribed safety norms have remained unused on school premises and at other locations for years. "These vehicles have neither been disposed of nor properly maintained. We are segregating the data for such vehicles. Once the exercise is over, action will be initiated against them after July 15," he said. The staff shortage has severely stretched the department's enforcement capacity in a district as large as Lucknow, where the same team is responsible for school vehicle inspections, highway enforcement, checking illegal passenger vehicles, overloaded commercial vehicles and other routine duties. htc...