Cabs make school ride unsafe for kids

NEW DELHI: The private school vans ferrying children continue to operate despite most of them being illegal and unregulated.

NEW DELHI: The private school vans ferrying children continue to operate despite most of them being illegal and unregulated.

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These eight-seater vans that can accommodate up to 12 children, ply on roads stuffing 25 to 30 kids. While more than two children sit on the passenger seat with the driver, many are forced to sit on the CNG cylinder and even the boot. In case of an accident, the van is unable to take the load and topples. In a recent accident over 40 children sustained injuries when the van had a collision with another car.

The transport department has limited carrying capacity for the school cab to one and half times the seating capacity declared in registration certificate, but is flouted.

The transport department has made it mandatory that no school cab should be driven by a driver who has been challaned, even once, for drunken driving or over-speeding. “A driver, who has been challaned for overtaking or jumping red light twice in one year, is also not allowed to ferry children. The checks, however, are never carried out,” an official said.

According to statistics available with the traffic police, 5,600 drivers and vehicle owners have been challaned this year so far for dangerous driving.

“The drivers do not follow traffic rules. Since they are in a hurry to drop children and get to the next duty, they overspeed. None of them carry proper documents and try to stuff in as many children as possible for short trips. Strangely even parents find it convenient,” a senior police officer said.

According to rules, no vehicle that is older than 15 years from the date of its initial registration, should be allowed to ply, but most of these vans are older.

“Most drivers buy secondhand vans and use them to ferry schoolchildren as it gets them business and the investment is less. It is mandatory that the school cab have a horizontal strip in the middle of 150 mm width, in golden yellow colour on all sides and are registered under separate series i.e. DL 1K but most of these drivers use these cars for private and interstate transfers as well,” an official explained.