The transport department today issued an advisory with a list of upgraded norms that need to be followed by the operators of school buses, pool cars, schools or even the guardians.
According to the department sources, the list comes considering the growing number of school buses and pool cars in the state. The department felt it advisable to update the existing guidelines for ensuring the safety and security of the school-going children. The department therefore issued some basic advisory for guidance and compliance for operating the school buses and pool cars in the state.
Under the advisory, the school buses have been allowed to ply at a maximum speed of 40kmph and have been asked to compulsorily instal vehicle location tracking device, panic button and speed limiting device in functioning condition among other list of do’s and don’ts, including seat belt for every seat and sufficient white-lighting inside the buses to ensure activities inside the buses are visible from outside. Among the roles of the school authorities regarding school buses, each institution has been asked to designate one transport manager who would be entrusted with the responsibilities to ensure the safety of the school children travelling by school bus.
The schools have also been advised to keep pool car advisories and relevant matters of road safety as one of the agenda points in the parent-teacher meetings. Simultaneously, the parents have been advised to obtain a copy of the driving license, phone number of the driver(s) and pool car owners and keep them for future reference. They have also been asked to download mParivahan mobile app to collect and verify the validity of the documents shared by the operators.