Updated Version of 27th April story
12 May 2011: The RTA has designed 32 new rules and regulations for the schools management to renew or obtain fitness certificate for their school buses, without which they will not be allowed to run in the twin cities. The new rules include having a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, experienced driver and a speed limit of 40 km. The due date for renewal of fitness certificate for buses is May 15 and these rules should be implemented by this academic year only.
These rules are in accordance with Motor Vehicles Act. The RTA has taken these measures to avoid running of unfit school buses being run by schools management in the city, thus ensuring safety of children. Reportedly, a few school managements are running buses with excess seating capacity and without proper documents and fitness certificate, violating the rules of the Act.
The officials also made it compulsory for the buses to have front and rear mirror, hand rails along the steps which are fitted with non-slip threads, height of the first step should not exceed 325mm, overhead container to keep school bags, a functioning speedometer and horn. Apart from the above rules, another interesting rule is that the management and parents committee should come together, to make it possible that a parent and a teacher should travel in the bus from starting point to ending point every day by taking turns.
The RTA has also said that every driver running school buses should undergo a one-day refresher training course organized in April/May every year. The driver will be issued a certificate for the one day course, which will be valid for only one academic year.
There are about 3,000 schools in the city, of which 2,200 are private and 800 are government institutions. It is said that around 1,000 private school buses are plying in the twin cities with many of them unfit for transportation.
Source: The Hindu