Following a suo-motu cognizance taken by the High Court due to Herald’s news report over the failure of government authorities to ensure the safety of students travelling in school transport, the State Transport Department has decided to notify the ‘Goa School Bus Rules’, drafted way back in 2013.
However, these rules would be freshly put in the public domain seeking suggestions and objections from the concerned stakeholders.
‘The Goa School Bus Rules’ were drafted following High Court directives while hearing a suo motu petition, in which the court took cognizance of the traffic management system in the state after going through newspaper reports relating to the Calvim bus mishap that claimed six lives, including four school children, in February 2012.
High Court had nailed government authorities, after a similar incident involving a school bus under the Indira Bal Rath Yojana, was reported in the very same month, wherein the bus was hit by a mining truck at Usgao, killing one student while four were seriously injured.
Speaking to Herald, Transport Director Arun Desai said that the department has decided to notify the school bus rules, which are approved by the government and vetted by the law department.
“They would be kept open for public suggestions and objections before final notification,” he said. Special appeal would be made to school management, Parents Teachers Associations (PTA) and transporters to give their views on safe transportation of school children.
While the director claims that this would be for the first time that the draft rules would be notified, Herald has on record to state that the Rules were made public for suggestions and objections on July 24, 2013.
However, they were not approved by the government at that stage. The rules were kept open for a period of seven days and following lack of response from the public, the deadline was extended up to September 1, 2013.
Surprisingly, the government had received only three suggestions at that time. The rules make it mandatory for each aided and unaided school to appoint a school safety officer, who shall be responsible for transport arrangements for school children. “These are comprehensive rules, framed in lines with some neighbouring State school bus rules,” Desai said.
The School bus rules make it mandatory for all school buses to have a uni-colour – Yellow.
Transport department is also directed to depute twelve dedicated motor vehicle inspectors, one in each taluka to ensure regular implementation of traffic rules by school buses. Surprise checks by police to ensure safety has also been recommended.
(Pictures taken for representational purposes and not intended to target any particular individual or organization)
