New Delhi: Errant and rash driving, overloading, besides plying of vehicles with expired fitness certificates. This is the state of the cabs and the buses carrying children for taking and dropping to schools. In a span of 46 days this year, a whopping 2,597 school cabs and buses were prosecuted for not sticking to the traffic norms. The police so far have impounded more than 100 vehicles during the same period.
The Delhi Traffic Police data, accessed by Millennium Post, revealed that between January 1 and February 15, a total of 2,118 challans were issued to school cabs and 479 to school buses. "As many as 101 school cabs and eight buses impounded," said data. The comparative data of last year for the same period, revealed that 508 challans (cabs–364, buses–144) were issued and nine vehicles (five–cabs and four–buses) were impounded.
Last year, 11,167 challans were issued to cabs and 3,216 to school buses while 296 vehicles were impounded (251 cabs and 45 buses). According to officials, these vehicles were overloaded endangering the lives of children. According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Alok Kumar, stringent measures were taken to tackle school cabs and buses that violated traffic norms risking students' lives. "We want parents to follow safety guidelines related to transport and choose safe transportation facilities for their kids," the Joint CP said stressing the need to follow guidelines by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on safe transport.
According to NCPCR manual on safety and security of children in schools, all the school buses must be painted with uniform colour preferably yellow with the name of the school written prominently on both sides of the bus so that they can be identified easily. The word "School Bus" must be written on the back and front of the bus if it is a hired. "On School Duty" should also be clearly marked on the vehicles.
The manual further stated that if a driver is challaned more than twice in a year for offences like traffic light jumping, violation of lane discipline should not be employed to drive school vehicles. A driver who has been challaned even once for the offence of over speeding, driving dangerously or for the offences under Sections 279,337,338 and 304A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) cannot be employed to drive vehicles. Every vehicle shall carry a suitable photograph of the authorised driver duly certified by the RTA.