Gurugram admin to penalise school buses violating traffic rules

School buses in Gurugram facing penalties for traffic violations from Monday. Officials to inspect buses monthly for safety compliance. Repair work on poor roads urged for smooth travel.

The district administration will penalise school buses violating traffic rules and regulations from Monday, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday.

The authorities said that all schools need to follow the guidelines for the safety and security of students. (Representational image)

The decision was taken during the monthly district road safety meeting that was held on Friday, they added.

Gurugram additional deputy commissioner Hitesh Kumar Meena said that hand-held machine issuing challans have been sought from traffic police and will be given to sub-divisional magistrates and city magistrates, they added.

“They will be given the mandate to inspect school buses every month for the effective implementation of safety rules. Even after repeated inspections, there is negligence on part of the school authorities. Many bus drivers do not adhere to the norms prescribed by the Surakshit School Vahan policy. All schools need to follow the guidelines for the safety and security of students,” he added.

Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Virender Vij said that they have nearly 350 hand-held machines, among which six have been given to the district officials. “Our teams are deployed at all the prime locations and hot spots where the maximum number of vehicles indulge in overspeeding or driving on the wrong side. We keep a close watch on school buses ferrying children to ensure that they are safe on the road,” he said.

Apart from traffic violations, Meena discussed several other issues related to roads and said that the stretches in the city, including highways, which are in poor condition, should be swiftly repaired by the departments concerned to ensure smooth travel for motorists. He emphasised that there should be no potholes, obstructive trees, bushes, electricity transformers, or poles visible on any roads in Gurugram city and other parts of the district.

Meena said that the departments such as Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG), Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and Public Works Department should work on improving the condition of the deteriorating roads. “The officials of the departments concerned will be responsible for any untoward incident caused due to potholes or pending repair work,” he said.

Meena added that the situation of Rao Gajraj Singh Marg in Udyog Vihar is not satisfactory. “MCG and HSIIDC should repair this road and submit the report within a week. Similarly, the road leading from Kadipur Chowk to Pataudi Chowk is damaged, and its repair work should be completed promptly. The repair work of Old Railway Road and Civil Lines Road should be finished by MCG within a week,” he said.

Meena said that tree cutting work has been carried out around Golf Course Extension Road and Iffco Chowk, but the work of the forest department has not been completed yet. “This should be done at the earliest. There is a pole blocking the road near Krishna Chowk, which should be removed promptly. Signboards should be installed around Shankar Chowk Flyover, and the Right to Information (RTI) department should ensure this. The construction of a foot overbridge on Narsinghpur Road should be started soon,” he said.

The officials of GMDA informed that this work has been allocated, and it is about to start soon.

Vij said that traffic inspectors are monitoring the ongoing work on roads and will provide necessary suggestions to maintain traffic discipline in their respective areas.