Ban on school buses older than 15 years

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 11

The State Transport Department has notified the Himachal Pradesh Motor Vehicles (First Amendment) Rules, 2018, to ensure the safety of schoolchildren travelling in different categories of the vehicles.

Under the new rules, the vehicles providing transportation facilities to schoolchildren will not be more than 15-year old. The driver should have a valid driving licence and should not exceed more than 60 years in age. The driver will get a physical fitness certificate from a competent authority every year, the new rules say.

These rules have now entered in e-Gazette of the government by amending the Himachal Pradesh Motor Vehicle Rules, 1999. These guidelines and rules are mandatory to be followed by all stakeholders.

The transport department had considered public objections before notifying the rules on October 12, 2018, and which was put on the site of the department.

According to the notification issued by the Principal Secretary, transport, JC Sharma, these rules will be followed by buses operated by schools, buses of private contract carriage or the Himachal Road Transport Corporation.

All school buses or vehicles will be painted in dark yellow and the name of the school will be written clearly on both sides so that it can be easily identified.

RTOs will ensure that buses which have been taken on lease by the schools will have a contract with the school and the driver of that bus will always keep the copy of the contract. The school management will give the details of the driver's name and vehicle to the nearest police stations.

Each school bus or vehicle will install CCTV cameras and GPS and the school management and vehicle owner will ensure that this system is functioning smoothly at all times and its record is regularly checked.

The driver of the school bus should have a minimum five years of experience.

The children below the age of five years will not be allowed to sit in the front seat of the vehicle.

The school bus or vehicle shall be repaired or inspected at regular intervals and it will be mandatory to get a fitness certificate under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

The guidelines 

• No use of mobile phone by the driver  
• Each vehicle will have a tamper-proof speed governors 
• The  maximum speed limit is 40 KM per hour. 
• Each vehicle will have the two ISI standard fire extinguishers. 
• The driver of the school bus should have a minimum five years of experience. 
• The children below the age of five years will not be allowed to sit in the front seat of the vehicle.