Tamil Nadu   

Programme for drivers of school, college vehicles

TAMBARAM: As part of efforts to sensitise drivers of school and college buses and vans to road safety, staff of the Regional Transport Office, Meenambakkam (at Alandur) will be holding meetings with heads of educational institutions to brief them about Supreme Court guidelines on certain mandatory practices to be followed.

The first such meeting was held with representatives of nearly 70 institutions in Sholinganallur on Tuesday evening. Though there are a few hundred educational institutions in the southern suburbs, only 111 schools and colleges are registered in this RTO office for operating buses and vans to transport their students. Rest of the institutions hire vehicles which ferry passengers during non-school or -college hours, officials said.

B. Sreedhar, Regional Transport Officer, said copies of the Supreme Court guidelines and a Government Order of the Home Department on pasting of stickers and colour codes for vehicles were also circulated. The Supreme Court’s guidelines include writing the words “school bus” prominently on both sides of the bus and displaying the words “on school duty” if the vehicle was hired.

No vehicle should carry students in excess of its permitted capacity, it should have a first aid box and fire extinguisher, the doors should be fitted with reliable locks and in addition, a driver with a minimum of 10 years experience in driving heavy vehicles, there should be another qualified person able to drive the vehicle.

An escort should be present in the bus, preferably a teacher to ensure safety norms, there should be enough space under seats to keep school bags and the educational institution’s name and contact numbers should be written on the vehicle, Mr. Sreedhar said.

He said they would start distributing cards, similar to identity cards, to those who had over 10 years of experience Mr. Sreedhar said similar to vehicles operated by software fims, they would suggest to school and college authorities to affix stickers of contact numbers of the institutions or offices of the Transport Department so that motorists can complain if vehicles indulge in rash driving and overspeeding.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Now, holiday travel takes a hit
Grounded by the high costs
Safety stripes
Wages for job scheme workers paid through banks
Good response to medical camp
Highway in my eyes
2 dead, 1 injured in accident
Waiting for a makeover
Inauguration
Former V-C killed in accident
Woman kills daughter, hangs herself
Grand event
“Sensitise masses to gender equality”
Youth hit by bus, dies
“Avoid shortcoming in development works”
“Revise tax for commercial buildings”
Contests to be held for students
‘Spot supply’
4,000 SHGs to get revolving fund
Three boxes of safety cracker in post box
Steps to weed out bogus ration cards
DMK organises contest
Mettur level
Corporation-Panchayat locked in garbage dumping row
National symposium
Jewel loan scheme
Balancing act
Students injured
60 bags of ration rice seized
Programme for drivers of school, college vehicles
Blood donated
Hindered by height
It’s a burning problem in southern suburbs of Chennai
Mobile phones, cash stolen from shop
A study in contrast
Action against two electoral officers
SETC crew strike work
Valvil Ori festival showcases tribal culture
Diabetologist conferred FRCP
Ex-servicemen to take out rally
Conference to focus on infectious diseases
High Court constitutes committee
“Law needed to make parties submit audited accounts every year”
State told to file affidavit on cases filed by Dowry Prohibition Officers
Shortfall likely in kuruvai coverage
Plan to construct four fishing harbours
“Congress tired of asking for posts”
Arasu officials’ complaint against Sun TV network
Guidelines on extending hospitality for Chief Justice, Judges adopted

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu