16 June,2011 07:02 AM IST | | Kranti Vibhute
Though schools across the city have reopened for the new session, officials are yet to set a deadline for school bus owners to implement all the safety regulations in their vehicles
The state department of transport, which had displayed great fervour and enthusiasm while drawing up new safety regulations for school buses ferrying students to and from their institutions, seems to be evincing an equal measure of laxity when it comes to ensuring that these regulations are implemented in the vehicles.
Only a few buses have been ferrying students due to which parents may have to resort to alternative means of transport to take their children to school
The State Transport Commissioner Dilip Jadhav announced today that the department is yet to set a deadline by which school bus owners must modify their buses, and that officials would only be checking the implementation of safety norms once the session is on in full swing in all schools across the city.
Most of the schools affiliated to the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Board began the new session yesterday, and all the Delhi Board schools have already begun their new terms from the sixth of the month.
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In a travesty of the new regulations sanctioned by the state transport department, almost all schools are yet to get their old buses modified and registered by the RTO.
School authorities have had to ground the buses, which await modification and registration. This means that schools are plying a markedly fewer number of buses, which are crowded overloaded with kids.
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If this continues, parents may have to resort to other means of transport, like car pool vans, which, needless to say, do not follow any of the safety norms. So, for parents who cannot personally pick and drop their kids, it is a choice between hell and high water.
Jadhav, said, "It is up to the ministry to decide the deadline by which the school bus owners should install the safety measures. It will only be decided once the schools buses start plying on a regular basis.
How can we start the inspecting school buses now, when the schools have just started making their trips two days ago?"
Anil Garg, chairman of the School Bus Owners' Association, said, "Seven of our buses are yet to be registered. I am using some of my tourist buses to transport school children. Some schools are still waiting to get their new buses registered, and a limited number of buses are plying."
An administrator of a well-known group of city schools said, on condition of anonymity, "A total of 90 of our school buses are running for our five schools.
Five of our old buses are yet to be passed by the RTO, and seven new buses are yet to be registered. We don't want to ply school buses illegally on streets, and have thus grounded these buses. This means there are fewer buses, resulting in space crunch."
Victor Pais, a trustee of the Infant Jesus School, Malad, said, "I am all for the safety norms drawn up by the transport department. One of our school buses has not been passed by the RTO, and this is making things uncomfortable for the school kids on the buses. Certain aspects of the new policy are quite impractical."
Parentspeak
A parent residing in the central suburbs said, "I was just going through your article in yesterday's edition, and wondering whether the schools are following the new guidelines which have been drawn up by the RTO this year.
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My daughter goes to school in Chembur by bus, and the vehicle used to transport students is in a deplorably unsafe condition. They have complete freedom to revise the fees after the changes are implemented, and we have no say in the matter. I would like you to take this up."
A parent of a South Mumbai school student said, "My daughter is three-and-a-half years old. My main concern is that there is no lady attendant in my daughter's school bus, although this has been made compulsory.
"I am very worried, as my daughter is the last to get dropped off, and there are only male conductors in the bus."
It's time for schools and colleges across the city to reopen for the new academic session. Keeping this in mind, MiD DAY will be bringing you a series of reports on significant issues related to the sphere of education.
The stories will range from safety guidelines for school buses to the contentious issue of fee hikes.
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Also on the agenda will be the upcoming SSC results and the online admission procedures for educational institutions in the city. Remember, knowledge is power.
