Open house: What should be done to ensure safety of students & regulate operation of school buses?

Fit front, rear cameras in buses

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In each locality, school bus must have one common stoppage for 20 to 30 minutes and all residents of that area must take their wards to the bus where it is parked. The bus must be fitted with lights and sirens. Every school must depute one marshal on the main gate of the school to monitor the movement of kids. Teachers should also be appointed to guide and help kids. The driver must have adequate experience and regular driving tests may be conducted. Each bus must have front and rear camera for easy navigation.

Farzana Khan

Trained drivers must be hired

It is very unfortunate that one child has lost her life due to the negligence of school bus driver. Strict law must be framed to curb the problem of negligence and precious lives may be avoided in the future. There must be a conductor in each and every school bus. The driver must be vigilant while reversing the vehicle and seek the help of conductor. Each school must appoint a guide who may monitor roaming of students in and in front of school particularly in peach hours i.e. in the morning and at the time of dispersal of school classes. Students must use passage of pedestrians for moving in the school at morning and at off time of school. Some ramps must be constructed where the school bus enters so that no single child may use ground to go to their class. Trained drivers must be appointed with valid driving licence. Proper training must be given to each student how to move and which passage they have to follow which roaming or moving in the school.

Dr Mohammad Saleem Farooqui

Dedicated space for parking buses

The precious lives of both small and teenage boys and girls must be saved from accidents due to the speeding of buses or by other means within the schools. First, the school buses must not ply using high speed within the school premises. This will ensure safety of the students. A teacher must be given the duty as in-charge to keep a check on the speed of buses before and after school hours and also that the drivers neither over-speed the buses nor take them to the area where kids play or study. This can also be accomplished by appointing a separate transport officer for the school. The private schools charge heavy fees from the students and therefore, the schools can easily afford to appoint a separate transport office. The drivers appointed to ply the school buses must be mature in age and not so young, as the latter always speed up the vehicle. It is commonly seen that school buses run at a high speed on the common roads in the city to catch up with time or other school buses. Also, there must be a separate place for parking buses somewhere away from the study or play area in the school so that the students are safe. Such steps will enable safety of both the kids and teenage students from the risk of speeding buses within the school premises.

Gautam Dev

Precautions must be taken to save lives

The tragic death of a little child highlights the urgent need for improved school bus safety measures. To avoid such catastrophes, several critical precautions must be taken. For starters, all school bus drivers must complete mandated training and licensing, which includes thorough background checks, defensive driving classes, and regular safety inspections. Second, careful attention to bus maintenance and inspection procedures is required. To reduce mechanical problems, regular inspections of the brakes, tires, and general vehicle conditions should be implemented. These solutions, when paired with expanded public awareness campaigns about road safety, have the potential to significantly improve students’ safety and security throughout their

everyday journey.

Tamanpreet Kaur Khangura

Need for enhanced safety measures

If we study deeply about the mentioned case then the major mistake on the part of school authorities is absence of connector with the school driver. This incident highlights the urgent need of enhanced safety measures and better regulation of school bus operations. Connectors should be there with every bus. Also the driver and bus attendant should be properly trained and should be aware enough how to deal in emergency and with children safely. Installation of GPS tracking, availability of first aid and cameras inside the bus is must. School authorities should frequently check school bus as there should be no compromise with child safety. School authorities should ensure that bus drivers should avoid high risky areas and also keep track of the bus timings to avoid delays. These are some of the measures that could be taken to avoid such tragic accidents and create safer environment for students travelling on school buses.

Japleen kaur

High time to take preventive steps

The school bus is a crucial part of daily life for millions of children. Yet, incidents involving rash driving or careless assessments by school bus drivers continue to put children at risk. In one such tragic incident, Amayera Sood, a 6-year-old student of BCM Senior Secondary School, lost her life when she was mowed down by a school bus. She had just gotten off the school bus, carrying her heavy bag, when the driver moved ahead, crushing her under the front tyre. There was no attendant to assist students in getting off the bus. It is also unfortunate that school administrators often support their unruly drivers and browbeating teachers, compromising the ethics of instilling a sense of responsibility in their employees. Although these occurrences are rare, the consequences are devastating. In the wake of this tragedy, it is clear that complacency is not an option. Schools must ensure that the Safe School Vahan Policy is strictly followed and that stronger hiring standards are put in place. School buses should be equipped with cameras to cover blind spots. The loss of a young life is a wake-up call for everyone involved in school transport, and it is high time to take steps to ensure it never happens again.

Novin Christopher

Group of officials to submit report

We are undertaking a sustained campaign to create awareness, educate and enforce the law of the land to ensure the safety and security of students travelling in the school buses. Besides sensitising the parents and school authorities, we are also tightening the noose around the errant drivers of school transport indulging in various violations and negligence. KULDEEP SINGH CHAHAL, COMMISSIONER OF POLICE