Kolkata: The state Transport department on Monday issued a new set of directives for schools, pool car operators and guardians after a series of school-transport accidents, including the Uluberia incident on November 24 in which three children died after their vehicle plunged into a pond. The department will now seek to bring private vehicles used for school transport under routine fitness inspections.
Transport minister Snehashis Chakraborty met pool car associations at the WBTC Maidan tent to discuss compliance and safety. “We had issued advisories two years ago for operators, schools and guardians. But when rules are not followed by all sides, these accidents occur,” he said. Calling the Uluberia deaths “tragic”, he added: “We sat with all stakeholders again because we cannot allow such cases to recur.”
A significant portion of the discussion centred on private cars operating as school transport without the regulatory checks imposed on commercial vehicles. Chakraborty said: “Many guardians send children in private cars. Those vehicles do not undergo fitness checks like commercial vehicles, and that is the major issue. Whether the number plate is yellow or white is not the issue. The real factor is the vehicle’s fitness.”
The department will now prepare a database of such vehicles so they can be brought under periodic inspection.
Owners of private cars may convert to commercial registration, with applications to be processed quickly. Operators also asked to use pool cars for other trips during off-hours to manage loan repayments. “We have given that permission and will continue to do so,” Chakraborty said.
The minister noted cost concerns among families. “Not every family can afford a pool car. But even if they choose a private car or a toto, the vehicle must be safe. We cannot simply shut these options down. Our responsibility is to ensure fitness and awareness,” he said.
Sudip Dutta, secretary of the Pool Car Owners’ Welfare Association, said: “We know many private vehicles are being used as pool cars. Our main request to the administration was to check the papers of vehicles operating with private numbers. The minister has assured us that steps will be taken to ensure both the vehicle condition and the paperwork are in order.” Transport secretary Saumitra Mohan, Inspector General of Police (Traffic) Sukesh Kumar Jain and senior officials attended the meeting.
The directives, printed as posters, will be sent to schools for display. The directives urge parents not to send children in private vehicles and require schools to keep an authorised list of pool cars, hold maintenance and awareness camps, maintain medical records of drivers and attendants, and coordinate with state and police agencies on road-safety education.
Operators must ensure valid permits and documents, avoid soft-top vehicles, install VLTD and panic buttons, fit seat belts on every seat, carry fire and first-aid equipment, deploy an attendant and run vehicles only on approved routes.