• A new and strict initiative has been started in Patna district, giving priority to the safety of school children. Now the formation of the Child Transport Committee will be mandatory to monitor the operation of school vehicles in large schools of the district. This step has been taken under the ‘School Vehicle Operations Regulations 2020’, which aims to provide a safe, well -organized and standard transport service to children.
  • Instructions sent by email to schools
  • Instructions have been sent to those schools in which two thousand or more students are registered by Patna’s District Transport Office (DTO). These instructions have sought detailed information about them from their or contracted vehicles – such as buses, vans, mini buses and number of Omini vans, names of owners, contract information and vehicle registration number. This information is being collected as a digital database to monitor and protect each vehicle.
  • Child Transport Committee structure and obligation
  • The head of this committee to be formed in every big school will be the principal of the school, while the other members included in the committee will be:
  • Two parents
  • A representative of a teachers union
  • Traffic Police Inspector of the respective area
  • Motor vehicle inspector
  • A representative of the Department of Education
  • A representative of owners of school vehicles
  • In addition, the transport in -charge of the school will be the secretary of this committee. The committee will hold a meeting once every three months and ensure that all school vehicles are following the fixed standards.
  • Patna DTO’s strict warning: Negligence not tolerated
  • Patna DTO Upendra Kumar Pal has clarified that no negligence will be tolerated in school transport service. He has warned all schools that strict legal action will be taken against them if they do not follow the ‘School Vehicle Operations Regulations 2020’. The rules are not only necessary to follow the rules, but it is also a direct matter related to the safety of school children.
  • Standards set for school vehicles
  • To ensure the safety of children, the government has set clear and strict rules regarding school vehicles, which will be compulsory for every school:
  • All school vehicles should be registered in the name of school management or authorized officer.
  • The body of the vehicle should be golden yellow in color, on which the name of the school is inscribed in large and clear letters.
  • It is mandatory to write ‘on school duty’ on vehicles taken on rent or lease.
  • The maximum speed limit should not exceed 40 kmph.
  • Each vehicle must have first aid boxes, fire fighting equipment, GPS, vehicle tracking system and panic buttons.
  • There should be suitable arrangements for students to keep school bags.
  • It is mandatory to provide special facilities for disabled students.
  • The bus should have two emergency withdrawal gates – one to the right and the other behind.
  • All windows should have an iron grill so that the security remains strong.
  • No agreement on children’s safety now
  • This new system is a major step towards making the school transport system more transparent, safe and accountable. The committee will not only monitor the vehicle operation, but will also establish coordination between parents, schools and administration, making children’s journey more safe and smooth than ever.