Bengaluru: Students being ferried in school vans and buses continue to remain unsafe despite the many new rules introduced by the government for their safety. Going by home department data as many as 55 schoolchildren have died and 417 injured in 213 road accident cases involving school vehicles over the last three years in the state. Home minister, Dr. G. Parameshwar informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday in response to a question by JDS member, K V Narayanaswamy, that 13 school children died in 2013, 14 in 2014, 11 in 2015 and 17 upto October this year. As many as 77 school children were injured in school vehicle mishaps in 2013, 92 in 2014, 157 in 2015 and 91 until October this year.
55 children died in school van accidents over 3 years in state
While 57 fatal accidents and 156 other accidents were reported involving the vans over the last three years, worryingly their number has been rising with 46 reported in 2013, 47 in 2014, 58 in 2015 and 62 in 2016 (till October).
Ask officers of the state transport department, Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the traffic police, and they admit the state government’s new rules on making school vans safe for children have not been enforced. “Following the Supreme Court’s direction, the state government has issued several notifications on making school vans safe, but this has achieved little,” said a traffic police officer, adding, “Even on Thursday, we got complaints of a drunk school van driver, who was from one of the city’s elite schools. He was driving at midnight and we caught him after a brief chase.”
Worse, as many as 34 school van drivers were booked for drunk driving in the recent drive against the practice. “Most of the drivers were from elite schools,” said a traffic police officer.
School bus safety guidelines
No vehicle shall carry children in excess of its permitted seating capacity.
Vans must have first-aid box and drinking water.
They must have seat belts, which must be fastened properly.
They must display school name and telephone number.
A vehicle carrying school children must be driven by a driver with at least four years of experience.
Speed governors essential
Major causes
Drunk driving by school van drivers
Absence of CCTV, GPS, and woman staffer on the vans.
Lack of proper seating arrangement in school vans.
Drivers speaking on mobile phones while driving.
