Transport Commissioner Vishesh Mahajan recently held a meeting with representatives of school authorities regarding the safety audit of vehicles ferrying students. The purpose of the meeting was to seek active participation and cooperation from school authorities to ensure that vehicles used for transporting students are fit and safe.
A spokesman in a statement issued to the press while referring to the Supreme Court’s directions for school buses, said that the Transport Commissioner has set January 31 as the deadline for the mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in school buses to monitor the activities of the driver and assisting staff while driving. This will ensure the safety of students round the clock.
The school authorities were directed to ensure that all vehicles are fitted with functional speed governors, with the speed fixed at 40 km/h, as per guidelines issued from time to time. They were informed that vehicles would be seized on the spot if any school bus is found violating safety norms while plying on roads, especially regarding overloading and speeding, he said.
The authorities assured that all safety measures outlined in the Supreme Court guidelines are being followed to ensure the safety of children. They were further asked to restrict underage students from driving two-wheelers/four-wheelers in and around school premises, he added.
Additionally, they were directed to hold counselling sessions with parents to warn them about the consequences if their children are not prohibited from underage driving.
The Transport Commissioner was informed that most schools have their own fleet of vehicles, but some private vehicles are also engaged by parents. Therefore, it is the duty of school authorities to ensure that these vehicles also comply with mandatory guidelines, such as emergency exit doors, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, GPS trackers, CCTV cameras, seat belts, and fire detection alarm systems. Among those present at the meeting were Joint Transport Commissioner Vinay Samotra, Assistant Transport Commissioner, ARTO (HQ) Jammu, and school authorities
