Taking strong exception to the school buses flouting the Supreme Court guidelines, the District Transport Officers (DTOs) of Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur have been ordered to submit Apex Court compliance report regarding buses to Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights by February 18.
Commission chairman Sukesh Kalia on Thursday expressed serious concern over the school buses carrying more students than permissible limit causing great threat to their lives. Kalia, presiding over Commission’s meeting, said that it was the responsibility of the DTOs to ensure laid down safety norms of the school buses and keep a tab on the buses violating the guidelines.
“The DTOs would be held responsible for any mishap of school buses,” he said while summoning the DTOs of Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar and the authorities of KVM School, ludhiana Civil lines, to personally submit the compliance report regarding the school buses to the Commission by February 18.
Kalia also expressed concern over the violent approach and rash driving of the drivers of school buses and uncivilised behaviour of school teachers in the schools causing great physical and emotional harm to the children.
Commission’s chairman has also directed the management and the Principal of Guru Gobind Public High School to submit complete record of the school buses by February 18. He has also asked the DTOs of Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar to submit the records of school bus plying in accordance with the guidelines of the Supreme Court.
Besides, the school administrations and management has also been directed to ensure safety of school children and engage qualified good drivers fulfilling all laid down norms of the Supreme Court.