While emphasising that a permanent solution be found to save the lives of children travelling by school buses, the Madras High Court on Friday said it was high time the State Government came up with a rule fixing the criteria and the conditions for operating those vehicles.
The High Court Bench said the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules had no provision with regard to maintenance, fitness and conditions for plying school buses. A draft rule should be produced before the court in two weeks, it said.
A special cell may be created under the rule, empowering special officers to issue fitness certificates for school buses and imposing other stringent conditions, including penal provisions for violations, the court said.
Class II student Sruthi was run over by her school bus in Mudichur after she slipped through a hole in the vehicle’s floor on July 25. Taking suo motu cognisance of the matter, the Bench said that the suspension of the Regional Transport Officer and the Motor Vehicles Inspector “shall not be mere eye wash; rather, the government shall initiate departmental proceedings as well against them and pass suitable orders in accordance with law.”
The Bench also said that the management/owner of the school should pay an interim compensation of Rs. 50,000 to Sruthi’s parents in a week.
Advocate General A. Navaneethakrishnan told the Bench that the Chief Minister had ordered that stringent action be taken against the officials concerned. Five persons had been arrested and they included the bus owner, Yogeswaran Silvera, the school correspondent, Vijayan, bus driver, Seeman, and Motor Vehicles Inspector, Grade I, Tambaram, P. Rajasekharan, he said.
A criminal case had been registered under IPC sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 304 (ii) (causing death by negligence) and sections 182 A and 190 of the Motor Vehicles Act, Mr. Navaneethakrishnan said, adding that the school had been issued a show cause notice seeking explanation as to why it should not be shut down.
The Bench said that in the interest of children studying in the school, the institution may not be closed. It directed the management to file counter to the government’s notice before August 9, the next hearing.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister sanctioned a solatium of Rs. 1 lakh for the bereaved family.
few suggestions to improve our system
1. no mannual proceedings. (exploit the technology which Indian brains are creating in US!!!)
2. no cash dealings. use only ATM / Debit card / Cash card
3. little bit of common sense and sense of responsibility in each one of us
4. movbile tracking of school buses
Hay guys now we are in 21 century and in most of the countries there is no manually checking the vechials for fitness all are done by computerzied why can't the indian govt. also do for these vechiels then at least the RTO officers will not and cannot do any changes from the main frame of this compouter.These central or state govt.staff think they can do any thing and on one can question them like these people will and should delt with very severly.now days there is no court in heaven it all in this world only
In vehicle test, how can there different rules for differant type of
vehicle.WHat applies to all buses, it applies to school
buses,including govt run buses,that too most of the transport buses
are running short of basic rules, good brakes and good and convenient
seating capacity,as it endanger public.School buses all the more need
more attention and should be first class condition and more so,
school buses can not be running for indefinite period and has to be
changed to new every 5/10 years taking the condition of the vehicle
and users more so, children"s parents has to foot the bill towards the
cost throuhg the school
Don't we have norms for running school buses meant for children, after 64 years of Independence? There is no point in making more norms which will be followed only for a few months. It should be good if we follow all the norms that we already have it.
Govt should take its time now and fix all the possible Road Safety norms and enforce a strict policy on road safety.
What is the point trying to call your self superpower if you cannot safeguard your own people's interest and what is the point calling yourself oldest civilization(Tamil) if you are nowhere close to civilized. Is it so difficult to enforce laws that are meant for safety of the people?
Well if you would remember seeing something same in "Indian" movie, the worst fears of people. As a Consequence,
we would neither want a vigilante nor a bus burnt or another kid dead.
Authorities should take it seriously and come up with a fool proof way.
I would request "The Hindu" to track this and see it through closure and if required criticize in case of any stupidity proposed by Authorities (Well they are also human and can be stupid).
It is an irrepairable loss for the parents; it can not be compensated by money or
suspension. But at the same time there should be severe punishment for the school & the
RTO officers. I Feel that school should pay a heavy compensation of the order of one crore
minimum and a similar amount from the officers money (from their PF or super annuation
or byselling their assets). It should not be paid by the department. When it comes in terms
of money, everybody will be disciplined automatically.
We are again taking knee-jerk reactions. Is it ok to just examine the
school buses? Are we waiting for someone to fall from a government bus
to include that as well? This FC is not an isolated case but the norm.
If the courts and the government are really concerned about the safety
of the citizens while travelling, regardless of the age or the nature of
thee transport, then they must have safeguards for issue of FC,
maintenance of public vehicles as well as stringent punishment to the
officials who issue such certificates without any examination.
Whatever was shown in the tamil movie 'Indian' has happened here. Unfortunately, we don't have an Indian Thatha to 'finish off' these corrupt officials.
God save Tamil Nadu.
Why the name of the School is not released? This is not a good article. Why media is covering up the school name? I don't think its the bus driver fault or conductor fault they are mere workers they cant fix the bus. Its the schools fault. The school fees are skyrocketing every year and a typical middle class family is struggling to pay the fee and the parents how the anger on the kids if they don't study well because they are spending all the money in fees. The school is responsible for this along with all the RTO (RTO is the biggest corrupt organization in India this is nothing new) personnel who singed off on this bus.
Corruption was main reason for this Incident. If the RTO office would
have not given clearance then vehicle would not have been permit to run.
School officials who take more money from the parents and provide like
this facility should be punished. Very strict rules should be enforced
for the school bus and priority must be given for school zone and for
school vehicle while driving in traffic. The incident is same like
"Indian" - Kamal's film - root causes is corruption
@cheran, we all know that it is the duty and responsibility of every citizen of this country to bribe their government's officials in order tog get them work no matter how basic and simple it maybe. you know it, i know it, even an unborn child would know it. but who is gonna ask these officials to stop doing it. apparently you have bribe someone to make them question this officials let alone the court. thank god for courts.
I just want to put a simple question forward to everyone both public and officials. Does any one don't know about how corrupt the RTO offices? how efficently the public money is spent on the roads? how efficient is our driving licenising system? Corrution is deep rooted in every aspect of administration and these incidents will continue to happen until the law is made stronger and these officers in administration loot public money to build themselves and kill the same people form whom they take the money. I know you would not publish this because. What is the govt doing to protect these vulnerable people from the draconian arms of selfish corrupt people. I hope there will be a court in heaven to hand these people.
Some school buses are modified immediately after FC to suit their
needs like fixing additional seats in one of the doorways. This goes
on till the next FC. Some of the drivers have a care for nothing
attitude.The drivers should be reined and then the school
authorities.
the high court's decision is laudable. Thank god we have something called courts to protect citizens. Like the bench said, tn government should take stringent action against the government transport officials and the school management. We all know that suspension is just a mere eye wash. a child has been killed 'cause of the officials 'sign anything for bribe' attitude. Atleast have some heart in signing for school buses,money is not going to bring back that innocent child's life. Will they allow their children to travel in that bus?
I think the operations of the transport services should be with the school to ensure that proper attention is given and all court orders are strictly adhered to.
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