Norms for School Buses

It is both heartening and touching to find that Asom Transport Minister Chandan Brahma has finally woken up to the need to enforce the Supreme Court directives of January 31, 1998 in respect of school buses in our State. The question “What was the department doing all these years?” is anticipated and answered by the minister. “Though there were drives against school buses plying without following the Supreme Court guidelines from time to time, we failed to continue the drives regularly. Now we are firm to take action against school authorities plying buses without following the standard apex court guidelines.” The minister also revealed that in two districts of the State, driving licences were being issued indiscriminately even to those below the age of 18. He said that if the inquiry instituted to go into the allegations finds this to be true, the officials involved will not be spared. This is a rather tall promise in a State where the administration is averse to any punishment of government employees regardless of the gravity of their offences, but one hopes that at least the transportation of school children will be in the hands of people genuinely concerned about their safety. Obviously, we cannot have people under the age of 18 driving school buses. The Supreme Court directives are very clear on this. The relevant directive on school bus drivers says: “No bus/vehicle belonging to or in use of any educational institute shall be driven by a driver who has (a) less than five years’ experience of driving heavy vehicles, (b) is charged or challaned more than twice for violating traffic rules.” Along with directives like school buses having to be equipped with doors that can be shut and to have the name of the school as well as its telephone number painted on the bus, the directive about drivers has to be strictly adhered to in order to ensure the safety of our school children. THE SENTINEL