Assam: Dispur cracks whip on school buses flouting safety norms

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The state education department is cracking the whip on school buses that are flouting the directives on safety regulations, in spite of the guidelines issued by the state Transport department in 2022, which in turn followed a Supreme Court directive on the issue.

The department of school education has written to the Director of Secondary Education and the Director of Elementary Education in Assam to follow up on the enforcement of safety regulations for school buses. The letter referred to the Supreme Court’s order in Writ Petition Criminal No.136 of 2017 and Writ Petition (Civil) No.874 of 2017.

The letter was issued following the receipt of a letter dated April 18, 2024, from the National Human Rights and Crime Control Bureau, Assam, addressed to the Chairman, State Transport Department, regarding the safety and well-being of children while adhering to rules and regulations governing school buses in the state, as mandated by the Supreme Court.

It is mentioned in the letter that many schools in our region have been neglecting these crucial regulations, thereby compromising the safety and well-being of the children.

Many a time, it is seen that school buses are driven recklessly at high speeds and indulging in competitions with others. Mishaps are often reported on account of such reckless driving. The worst part is that, sometimes, the complaint numbers for reporting such bad driving are missing from the backs of buses, which is a must to rein in such drivers. It is the responsibility of the school authorities to ascertain that complaint phone numbers are provided.

As per the SC order, it is imperative that all school buses comply with specified standards, including but not limited to the installation of GPS systems, CCTV cameras inside buses, ensuring drivers possess valid licenses, and maintaining a stocked first aid box, among other requirements mentioned in the SC order.

The Supreme Court of India issued the following guidelines for school bus safety, including the appearance of school buses, which should be painted yellow and have the words “School Bus” written on the front and back. If the bus is hired, it should clearly indicate “On School Duty.”

As part of the safety features, school buses should have a first aid box, a fire extinguisher, horizontal grills on the windows, reliable locks on the doors, and a space under the seats for school bags. 

Not restricting its directions to appearance and safety features of the school buses, the SC went on to state the driver’s qualifications, the presence of an attendant, the responsibility of the school management, and above all, the responsibility to be shouldered by the parents of the students travelling on school buses in ascertaining the safety of their wards.

The recent letter by the education department requested the Director of Secondary Education and Director of Elementary Education to instruct the Inspector of Schools/District Elementary Education Officers under their jurisdiction to disseminate the instructions to all private school authorities in this respect.

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