Chandigarh: After summer break, school vehicle safety back in focus
Chandigarh transport secretary Vinay Pratap Singh emphasised that the safety of school children during transportation to and from school is of utmost importance to avoid accidents
As schools across the city reopen after summer break, UT transport secretary Vinay Pratap Singh reviewed the Safe Transportation Policy for Students (STRAPS) on during a meeting on Friday.
The secretary emphasised that the safety of school children during transportation to and from school is of utmost importance, and prime concern of all stakeholders. Mentioning recent tragic incidents involving school buses and vehicles in different parts of the country, he asked the stakeholders to draw lessons from them and take effective steps in Chandigarh to avoid such accidents.
During the meeting, Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) chairperson Shipra Bansal said, “It is observed that sometimes proxy unverified and untrained drivers drive the school buses in the absence of main drivers.”
‘Ensure verified, trained drivers’
Additionally, she highlighted the issue of expired medicines in first-aid box of school buses and other vehicles, and that all bus drivers and attendants do not undergo life support training. Taking cognizance of the issues, Vinay directed the School Bus Operators Welfare Association to ensure that only verified and trained drivers are deployed at school buses even if main drivers are absent from duty, and that all buses have updated and stocked first-aid boxes. He also emphasised that bus drivers and attendants be given life support training through Red Cross.
State Transport Authority (STA) secretary Rupesh Kumar informed that the Regional Driving Training Centre (RDTC) is under construction and that the same will be completed soon. The training and refresher course of school bus drivers will be soon held at RDTC. He also informed that extensive challans are being issued by STA for overcrowded autos and cabs carrying school children.
Avoid buses inspection during school timings: ISA
Independent School Association, Chandigarh, president HS Mamik urged that UT administration should consider avoiding inspections of school buses during opening and closing times of schools as inspections at such times on the roadside often leads to delays in ferrying students to and from schools. To this, the transport secretary asked STA secretary and traffic police to consider the representation, develop a SoP and schedule for checking of school buses.
Issues of overcrowding in autos and cabs carrying school children and plying of illegal cabs were also discussed. It was decided that data regarding children using private autos and cabs be collected from schools and parents, and advise them to avoid using such vehicles, which are either running without permit or overcrowding children.
Vehicles to be inspected for overcrowding, valid permits
He also directed the transport department and traffic police to collect details of private vehicles used by children from schools to inspect such vehicles for overcrowding and valid permits, and those found violating the motor vehicle law and jeopardising the safety of school children should be punished.
The transport secretary directed that special drive should be conducted by STA and traffic police in July and August for curbing violations related to vehicles ferrying school children. Both STA and the police were directed to submit data of challans done on school buses and vehicles in the last year for analysis.
Among others, traffic inspector, district education officer (DEO) and president of School Bus Operators Welfare Association were present during the meeting..