CCTV, GPS installation on school buses tough on Chandigarh schools

Installment of CCTV cameras and GPS on board school buses as made mandatory by the UT Administration, has been giving a tough time to most schools located in the city.

UT Administration had issued guidelines to transporters to depute lady attendants on school buses and install CCTV cameras and GPS by August 1.

The failure to bear the expenses has led some transporters to terminate their services with schools which has caused inconvenience to the students who have to depend on their parents to commute to school.

A senior teacher at GMSSS10 divulged, “A transporter employed with the school refused to continue his bus service, expressing his inability to bear the charges of installing CCTV cameras and GPS. Parents are left with no other option but to drop their children to school on personal vehicles”.

Manjit Singh, president of Chandigarh School Bus Operators’ Association, told HT, “Deploying women staff in school buses has caused us inconvenience.” Recounting one such experience, he said, “A lady attendant deployed in a school bus of a private school in sector 71, SAS Nagar had to be fired because she used to display inappropriate behavior.”

He claimed that transporters have demanded a hike of Rs 200 in the transportation fee to meet the expenses and circulars have been sent to schools to this effect. He added that parents would not mind shelling extra bucks for the installation of CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of their children on buses.

Backdrop

It is pertinent to mention here, that in May, after a fiveyear-old girl student was allegedly molested by a school bus conductor, UT education secretary Saravjit Singh had framed new guidelines for schools, which were supposed to be implemented August 1 onwards.

Most of the city schools including Carmel Convent school, Saint John’s school, DAV Model Sr Sec school, RIMT World School, Vivek High school, Sri Guru Harkrishan school and Shishu Niketan school have installed the required equipments and deputed lady attendants.