Monday, 23 SEPTEMBER 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Transport department will begin an initiative on Monday to monitor and check if school van drivers are adhering to the recently issued safety guidelines for tranaporting students. This is not a full-fledged campaign, but the department aims to ensure that the instructions are being followed on the ground. The focus, for now, is on spreading awareness and instilling a sense of responsibility among the drivers, the regional transport officer (Enforcement) Shailesh Tiwari said. He informed that a meeting with school vehicle owners and van drivers was held about 10 days ago, where critical aspects of ensuring safe transportation for school children were discussed. Key points addressed included the conduct of drivers while interacting with students, with specific instructions issued to avoid seating female students in the driver’s cabin. Besides this, if the vehicle carries only female students, a partition or grill must be installed between the driver and the seating area for added safety.
Tiwari said that it was mandated that the names of the vehicle owner and driver, along with a mobile number, be clearly displayed on the exterior of the vehicle. A list containing the names of students, their parents, addresses and contact information should also be kept in the vehicle for inspection purposes by the authorities when required. “The enforcement team will monitor compliance with these guidelines on the ground by van drivers. At this stage, we do not plan to impose penalties, as the focus is on raising awareness and fostering a sense of responsibility and care among them,” he said. He also revealed plans for a large-scale counselling and training session for school transport operators in October. These sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including safety protocols, child psychology, effective communication with children and sensitive issues such as distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate physical contact, guided by experts.
