Accidents underscore lack of school bus safeguards

Ananda, who was ferrying 20 students to Narayana E-Techno School, was arrested on Wednesday for rash driving.

Two accidents involving bus drivers in one day have underscored the need for better safeguards when it comes to ferrying children to school and back.

Many schools are now insisting that drivers be subjected to alcometer tests. D. Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka, said all their member schools will be asked to buy alcoholmeters as the safety of students cannot be compromised. Mansoor Ali Khan, board member, DPS Group, said that all their drivers are regularly subjected to surprise breathalyzer tests.

With the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) carrying out checks for drunken driving on drivers ferrying schoolchildren, they have found that school buses also lack various safety measures mandated by the Transport Department.

For long, parents have been pointing out and even posting pictures on social media about school bus drivers violating traffic rules, be it jumping signals or speeding.

Many of these buses are not fitted with CCTV cameras and GPS, as mandated in the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules, 2012.

Many parents argue that the lack of school cab safety committees makes students vulnerable. The committees, which should include parents, private cab drivers and school management representatives, are supposed to look into the various aspects related to transport of children, including compliance to norms.