Patna, April 15: Concerned over the accident of the Earth Public School bus today near Vadhpur area under Parsa Bazaar police station, the managements of different schools pledged to be extra vigilant on the condition of their buses. They also appeared to be more serious about following the road rules.
D.K. Ghosh, the principal of DAV Khagaul, said: “Around 75 per cent of our buses are hired. But their drivers will also have to abide by the rules. Our apex body in Delhi gives us instructions on the maintenance as well as the speed of the school buses. Around four to five teachers of our school keep a tab on the speed of the buses on every route.”
The director of Radiant International School, C.B. Singh, said: “We have 30 buses. Of them, 28 ply on different routes. First aid box and water are available on these buses. We see to it that each child gets a seat and two bars are attached to each window so that no child can lean out.”
The bus safety promises of the schools are yet to have a cooling effect on the nerves of the parents of school students. Many of them expressed concern over buses not following the rules and regulations.
Suchitra, the mother of Ishan, a student of Delhi Public School (DPS), said: “They (DPS) take special care of buses. But I see buses of many other schools flouting norms. Rules are made each time there is an accident. But after a while all that is forgotten.”
The chairperson of Bihar State Child Rights Protection Commission, Nisha Jha, told The Telegraph: “School buses should not be overloaded and each child should have a seat. There should be a signboard on the rear of the bus stating that children are travelling in it. The school’s contact number should be available on the bus. A first-aid box should be kept handy. In case of a mishap, both transporters and the school authorities are liable to pay compensation.”
Jha said the schools should ensure that their buses do not exceed the speed limit.
After DAV student Shweta Suman was run over by her own school bus in February this year, the city traffic police had come up with several rules and regulations pertaining to school buses.
