Implement safety norms or face action, pvt schools told

Our Correspondent

NURPUR, FEBRUARY 14

The district administration today organised a workshop to sensitise owners and managements of private schools in this sub division about the recent directions/guidelines incorporated in the Himachal Pradesh Motor Vehicle Rules-2018 for the safety of students in school buses.

Apprising school owners of safety norms issued by the state government SDM Nurpur Surinder Thakur, Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kangra Vishal Sharma and DSP Sahil Arora asked the school managements to implement government guidelines strictly within 15 days. After that period the government authorities would start inspection and checking of all school vehicles. Action will be taken against violators.

Over 30 school owners participated in the awareness workshop.

The DSP asked the managements to ensure that no crew member of the school vehicle had criminal background and asked schools to conduct his verification from local police station before recruitment.

Following private school bus accident near Nurpur on April 4 last year in which 24 students and four others travelling in it had lost their lives, the state government has come out with various safety measures and issued new guidelines that had been notified recently.

As per official information, the government has directed that ‘School Bus’ be written on self-operated school buses and ‘On School Duty’ on the leased vehicles. The school vehicles should get Global Positioning System (GPS) and CCTV cameras installed and school management or vehicle owner must ensure that these systems function smoothly.

It will be ensured that school bus should have two ISI standard fire extinguishers of 5 kg capacity. Drivers, conductor and female attendant should be trained to operate firefighting equipment. The government has fixed the maximum age limit of school bus drivers at 60 years with an experience of five years for driving heavy vehicles. It has also notified dark yellow color of school buses and speed limit of at 40 km, as per the direction of the apex court. The school vehicles will also be equipped with first aid box and alarm/siren to meet any emergency.

The government has also directed school bus more than 15 years old should not ply. It has also mandated physical fitness of the vehicle driver, including eye examination, to be conducted every year. The school management will also ensure that the driver has been issued a health fitness certificate by the competent authority.