Drivers with clean record for school buses: Govt

The Delhi government on Thursday issued fresh guidelines for vehicles ferrying school children. The new rules ban the drivers who have been booked for speeding, drink driving or under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) from serving school children.

Also, drivers who have been challaned more than twice in a calendar year for violations like overtaking and jumping traffic light will not be allowed at the wheel of vehicles ferrying students.

The stringent guidelines for buses, mini-buses and drivers come in the wake of the death of a five-year-old kindergarten student of The Air Force School, Subroto Park, on Tuesday.

Gauri Trivedi died of head injuries after the driver of her private school cab jumped a traffic light and crashed into another vehicle near Dhaula Kuan Metro station.

"The city government is concerned about the safety of the school children and has come out with the new guidelines after consultation with experts and senior officers. According to the new guidelines, only those drivers would be allowed to drive these buses who have five years' experience of driving a vehicle of this category. The drivers should not be challaned more than twice in a calendar year on account of certain violations like overtaking, jumping red light, violating, etc,'' Transport minister Ramakant Goswami said.

The driver also has to wear a uniform of grey trousers and jacket and a name tag.

The owner of such buses will have to display prominently that the vehicle is being used by school children. "The colour of the board will be golden-yellow in iconographic representation of two school children. The bus will not carry more than one and half times the number of passengers authorised in registration certificate. The bus must carry a copy of the valid agreement with the educational institute and complete list of the school children showing their names, classes, residential addresses and points of embarking and dis-embarking. Further, the buses owned by schools must be painted in golden-yellow colour,'' Goswami said.

The bus will have to be equipped with a first-aid box, fire extinguisher and must have provision for bag racks under the seats. Amber flashing lights will have to be put up on the top four corners on the exterior of the bus — these will be activated whenever the bus stops.

New rules

For DRIVER

n Must never have been booked for speeding, drink driving or under IPC Section 304

n Must not have more than two challans in a year for overtaking, jumping traffic light

n Must have a five-year experience in driving such vehicle

n Must wear uniform and a name tag

FOR BUS

n 'School Bus' must be prominently displayed on vehicle

n Will not carry more than one and half times the number of passengers authorised in registration certificate

n Must carry a copy of the valid agreement with the educational institute, list of the school children

n Buses owned by schools must be painted golden-yellow

n Must have a first-aid box, fire extinguisher, bag racks under the seats

n Amber flashing lights will have to be put up on the top four corners on the exterior of the bus

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/drivers-with-clean-record-for-school-buses-govt/1064527/0