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School bus rules should be strictly followed for safe transportation: Pune CP
He proposed a collaborative campaign by the police department, the transport branch, and the RTO to examine autorickshaws, taxis, and other vehicles for the safety of women, senior citizens
Taking cognisance of a sensitive issue of school bus transportation, the Pune City Police Commissioner Retesh Kumaar recommended that schools and school buses transporting students should strictly adhere to laws for the safety of the students.
Kumaar was speaking during the Pune district traffic safety committee meeting, that was held at the Pune Police Commissionerate on Tuesday.
On this occasion, Joint Commissioner of Police (joint CP) Sandeep Karnik, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP traffic) Vijay Kumar Magar, Pune Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Ajit Shinde, Pune Rural Additional Superintendent of Police Mitesh Ghatte, and Deputy RTO Sanjeev Bhor were present.
“Strict adherence to school bus regulations is essential to prevent accidents or other incidents during the transportation of students between home and school. It is mandatory to have a helper on the school bus and a female helper on the school bus carrying girls. The drivers of these buses should be well trained, morally competent, with a good track record. These matters must be ensured by the school transport committee,” Kumaar said.
He proposed a collaborative campaign by the police department, the transport branch, and the RTO to examine autorickshaws, taxis, and other vehicles for the safety of women, senior citizens, and other residents who travel late at night.
“All the vehicles should be thoroughly checked during the night blockade keeping in mind that there have been incidents of asking for inflated fares, theft, beating passengers, and other misdemeanours by blocking them at night. Strict action should be taken against the drivers and vehicles found violating the rules,” he added.
The CP also directed that strict steps should be taken to confiscate the number plates of vehicles with fancy number plates and impound the vehicles.
While DCP traffic Magar said all local self-government bodies should ensure that school transport committees are established in government and private schools in their areas.
“We should organise meetings every three months to create sensitivity and awareness about this subject. He also said that it is necessary to be alert in advance so that no untoward incident takes place,” said Magar.
RTO Shinde stressed that it is the responsibility of the schools to make a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the school for the school bus that transports the students.
“These vehicles must have a valid Certificate of Competence and the design of the vehicle must be modified as per the School Bus Regulations. The local government concerned should pay special attention to this. It is the responsibility of the school as well as the School Transport Committee to see that students are not transported by private passenger vehicles that are not contracted with the school,” he said.
