School buses operating in the state will now have to have a first-aid box and be fitted with a speed governor not allowing them to exceed the speed limit of 40 kilometers per hour. The state's transport department has issued these and many other important guidelines with a view to ensuring the safety of schoolchildren on these buses.

Giving this information here on Friday, transport minister Raja Mahendra Aridaman Singh said he had asked officials to ensure that school buses flouting norms were not allowed to ply on roads.  He asked them to comply with the Supreme Court's directions also.

Transport commissioner Alok Kumar said he had directed all the RTOs and ARTOs to strictly implement new directions on the road safety for school children.

Main guidelines
All school buses to have a first-aid box.

School buses not to cross 40km hour speed limit and a speed governor with alarm to be fitted to stop them from doing so.

Each school bus will have a list of names of children, address and their blood group, besides the route chart.

School buses to have a closed steel body.

'School Bus' to be written in bold on all such buses with the name of the school and its telephone number.

The colour of school buses must be golden yellow with brown/blue linings.

An experienced male or female assistant, who will take care of children, will be deployed on each school bus.

Authorities would check criminal record, if any, of school bus drivers while renewing their driving license which must be of the commercial category only.