Malda administration issues safety to-do list for school pool vehicles

The move comes in the wake of a July 2 accident that had left 37 students of Kendriya Vidyalaya injured

The school bus that turned turtle in Malda on July 2: Telegraph Picture

Soumya De Sarkar   |   TT  |  Malda   |    07.07.22  :  Authorities of schools in Malda district and offering bus and pool car services to students were called by the district administration and police here on Wednesday to receive a “must-do list” with a fortnight’s deadline to ensure the safety of the student commuters.

The initiative in the wake of a July 2 accident that had left 37 students of Kendriya Vidyalaya injured.

The bus carrying the children had veered off the road, fallen into a dry ditch and turned turtle.

The administration had formed a committee headed by additional district magistrate (general) Vaibav Choudhary to probe the accident.

Police had also initiated a separate investigation.

“During the probe, it was found that the bus was old and lacked a fitness certificate. It was also carrying students nearly double of the seat capacity,” said a source.

The accident, coupled with the findings, made the administration act. Within two days of the incident, the Malda administration came up with a standard operating procedure for school vehicles. On Wednesday, the details were shared with representatives of over 30 schools.

The district magistrate, the superintendent of police, officials of traffic wing and transport department briefed representatives of the schools on the safety measures so that such accidents can be averted in future.

“The contact numbers of the school, police, traffic officials and the driver must be clearly mentioned on three sides of each vehicle, along with a message for people so that they can call up these numbers if they find any bus or pool car running recklessly,” said Nitin Singhnania, the district magistrate.

Schools have also been directed to submit fitness certificates of all their vehicles that are used to ferry students to the regional transport authority within 15 days.

“No bus or pool car will be allowed to carry more students than the number of seats. The emergency exit has to be checked regularly and fire extinguishers must be available in all these vehicles,” Pradeep Kumar Yadav, the district police chief, said.

The list also adds that only those persons with a commercial driving licence and an experience of driving for more than five years can be engaged for driving school vehicles.

“The drivers must adhere to the speed limit determined by the traffic wing of police. They cannot use mobile phones while driving. School authorities need to arrange for health and eyesight check-ups of drivers at least twice a year,” said an official.

“All the schools have been asked to submit a report in a fortnight as to whether they have complied with the directives,” the official added.

These directives to the schools apart, the district administration has also taken up the task to construct speedbreakers in front of schools located near national and state highways and off the busy municipal or panchayat roads.