Herald’s Campaign on Safe School Transport is our campaign for September. This kicks of our monthly series of campaigns on issues concerning the common man. Issues which matter to us as family men and women, professionals, parents and in other roles we play in our society. We urge you to join this by offering your views, solutions, comments or anything else. While email is the best bet, do use our Facebook and Twitter platforms to respond and ideate. We will use social media as effectively as print, in many of our themes, city specific and feature pages, to take this forward
PANJIM: The manner in which our children are transported to school and back has never been a subject of any concern, unless there’s been a tragedy involving a school bus, van or a rickshaw. The sight of them packed like sardines, almost 25 in a Maruti Omni van and about ten in an auto rickshaw defies all guidelines of safety and security of school children.
The Transport Department had in 2012 formulated a set of rules and regulations called the Goa School Bus Rules but these rules were in fact never notified. The department, however, insists they are functioning on a set of rules issued by the Central government to be followed all over the country. The ground realities are different.
It’s no surprise to see private vehicles and buses being filled to beyond their capacity with children at the end of a school day. In the case of many students from the primary section, Omni vans and rickshaws are loaded with as many of the fragile kids they can accommodate.
While this can cause a series of health concerns including suffocation, the Director of Transport insists there needs to be a balance between the school management and parents to ensure the safety of the students.
“My recommendation would be for parents to send their children to schools near their homes. Increasing the number of vehicles rather than auto rickshaws and vans could also help in reducing this problem of overcrowding,” said Transport Director Arun Desai.
However Desai’s department has done nothing to clamp down on cars and auto rickshaws, which ferry children without a licence from his department.
While Desai said that they had done their duty of framing the rules and regulations, but since they were never notified, he said that the Central government’s rules were being followed. On the streets though, this isn’t visible.
Another option that parents of some private schools are now considering is the option of carpooling. “Carpooling is one of the best options, where not only the problem of overcrowding but issues related to security can also be laid to rest. In the case of small children especially, carpooling is a solution to problems where parents themselves are busy to pick their children up,” said a headmistress of a private English primary school in Panjim.
BOX
SC guidelines for school buses: What’s that?
• ‘School Bus’ must be written on the back and front of the bus
• ‘On School Duty’ should be clearly indicated
• Bus must have a first-aid box
• Windows must be fitted with horizontal grills.
• There must be a fire extinguisher in the bus
• School name and telephone number must be written on the bus
• There must be an attendant from the school in the bus. School cabs should be fit with speed governors with maximum speed limit of 40 kmph
• The body of school cab shall be highway yellow colour with horizontal strip in green colour of 150mm width in the middle all around the vehicle and the words ‘SCHOOL CAB’ must be prominently displayed on all four sides of the vehicle
• If age of school children is below 12 years, the number of children carried shall not exceed 1½ times the permitted seating capacity. Children above 12 years shall be treated as one person
• The driver of a school cab must have valid licence to drive LMV-transport vehicles for a period of at least four years and compulsorily wear a light blue shirt, light blue trousers and black shoes. His name ID be displayed on the shirt
• School bags should not be hung outside the vehicle or placed on roof carriers
