It appears that some schools in Delhi have turned a blind eye to safety guidelines for students issued by the Supreme Court. The case in point is the death of a three-and-a-half-year-old boy Aviral who was crushed under his school van on Tuesday in the Civil lines area. The Supreme Court had ordered the essentials for a school bus/van which was to be strictly followed by school authorities; however, the court’s direction seems to have taken a back seat.
According to the SC order, “School bus” must be written on the back and front of the bus/van. “If it is a hired bus, “on school duty” should be clearly indicated. Bus must have a First-Aid-Box. The windows of bus must be fitted with horizontal grills. There must be a fire extinguisher in the bus. School name and telephone number must be written on the bus. The doors of the bus should be fitted with reliable locks. To keep school bags safely, there should be a space fitted under the seats. There must be an attendant from the school in the bus. Any parent/guardian or a teacher may also travel to ensure these safety norms,” said the orders.
The guidelines for teachers to ensure safety of schoolchildren say if any school bus or any conveyance, by which children come to school, violates traffic rules, the teachers should inform about it to their principal or Traffic Police Control Room at Tel. Nos. 23010101, 23737300.
Also, the traffic police said it is the responsibility of school authorities and the teachers to ensure the safety of schoolchildren and also to impart the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to be a safe road user.
“Teachers should help develop a responsible attitude towards road use in schoolchildren. The vehicles including school buses are parked safely and properly. Children should be supervised and taken care of at the time of alighting and boarding the school bus. Every school bus must be accompanied by a teacher for controlling the children and the bus driver. The teacher should arrange for an alternate bus and keep the children together at one place if the school bus fails to arrive or if there is any problem,” stated the guidelines set by the Traffic Police Department.