New law to monitor school buses, carpooling in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Delhi government is likely to enforce a rule to ensure that schools monitor buses and vans ferrying students, along with drafting a law for carpooling in the city.

The recommendation came from a high-level committee formed to look after security of children in schools.

The proposal is likely to be made part of the Delhi School Cab Rules, 2017, which is expected to come into effect by the end of this year. Delhi Transport minister Kailash Gahlot will work on the matter.

The rule will include points such as maximum seating capacity and verification of staff, besides ensuring responsibility of school administrations towards safety of children.

The committee was formulated amid increased concern over safety of students, after the rape of a five-year-old girl at her school in Shahdara and the murder of a seven-year-old boy in Gurugram's Ryan International School. These new initiatives are focused on ensuring safety of schoolchildren.

In the incident at Ryan International School, it was found that most of the CCTVs were not functional.

The Delhi government observed that it does not want to overlook any aspect in protection of children, be it in school or on the way to school.

After studying various reports, the government found that many accidents take place in school buses and in carpools.

However, the government also asserted that many parents have concerns over modes of transport. The committee will also ensure the background check of the drivers and conductors of school buses.

The government is likely to take help from experts and police officials in this matter.

"The committee will look into all safety aspectsm be it in transport or the conduct of the non-teaching staff. It will submit its recommendations within a month," Deputy CM Manish Sisodia had said.

On September 11, Sisodia had ordered schools in Delhi to install CCTV cameras covering their entire premises and to complete police verification of their non-teaching staff within three weeks.

Over 10,000 private vans and buses ferry school children in Delhi, a Transport department official claimed. He said that as of July 2017, 900 vans had been impounded and close to 2,000 fined for flouting permit norms as part of a drive.