In a bid to ensure safe transport of schoolchildren and to strengthen monitoring of parallel service vehicles ferrying schoolchildren, the City police have decided to issue a special registration number for such vehicles from this academic year. Also, police clearance will be made compulsory for drivers and cleaners of educational institution buses in view of the mounting sexual atrocities against children in the State.
The special registration number will help the law enforcing agencies to easily identify such vehicles and make the crew accountable. Stickers with emblem and serial number will be provided which will have to be displayed on the vehicles. Separate numbers for north and south traffic divisions will be provided for easy identification.
Registry
The system is being introduced with the aim of creating a registry of the parallel service vehicles ferrying children.
Inspector, Traffic, South Division, S. Jayachandran said the police had only a rough estimate of the vehicles, and a final number of the parallel services ferrying schoolchildren would be available next week. There would be no curbs on such vehicles being used for other trips.
Meeting
The new measures to be rolled out were communicated to headmasters, Principals, and managers of educational institutions by City Police Commissioner G. Sparjan Kumar and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order, Traffic) Arul R.B. Krishna at a meeting at the traffic police station here on Saturday.
The police and the Motor Vehicles Department officials briefed the college and school authorities on the safety precautions to be followed while transporting students.
Overcrowding of children on the vehicles will not be allowed, and the drivers should have at least 10 years of experience.
The clearance for bus crew should be obtained from local police stations and the police have been asked to ensure that those with criminal antecedents are not given clearance.
The traffic police also conducted an orientation programme for drivers, cleaners, and ayahs of educational institution buses on Saturday.
The drivers were warned of the consequences of drunk driving, speeding, rash and negligent driving, and overcrowding.
CBSE directive
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made speed governors with 40 km per hour, GPS, and CCTV mandatory for educational institution buses.
In case of any lapse, the school management and head of the school will have to face “appropriate action, including disaffiliation of the school as per the provisions under affiliation bye-laws,” the guidelines issued said.
