Safety of School Children in School Bus – CBSE Orders

Safety of School Children in School Bus – CBSE Gudelines

GUIDELINES FOR TRANSPORT FACILITIES IN SCHOOLS

1. Exterior of the Bus
2. School buses should be painted yellow with name of the School written prominently on both sides of the bus so that these can be identified easily.
3. “School bus” must be prominently written on the back and front of the bus carrying school children. If, it is a hired bus, “On School Duty” should be clearly wirtten.
4. Details of the Driver (name, address, licence number, badge number) and Telephone no. of the school or owner of the bus, Transport Department’s Helpline number and Registration number of the vehicle shall be displayed at prominent places inside and outside the bus in contrast colour. It is to be clearly visible to all the passengers in the bus and to the public so that in case of necessity, the school authority/ police or other authorities can be informed.
5. Interior of the Bus
6. The windows of the bus should be fitted with horizontal grills and with mesh wire.
7. The doors of the bus should be fitted with reliable locks that can be locked.
8. The school authorities must ensure that emergency exit doors are installed in each school bus.
9. The school buses should be fitted with speed governors with maximum speed limit of 40 km/ph.
10. The school authorities should ensure that every school bus should possess two fire extinguishers of ABC type of 5 kg capacity having ISI mark. One of which should be kept in the driver’s cabin and second near the emergency exit door. Similarly, training should be given to the driver, conductor and lady attendant/guard to operate the fire extinguisher.
11. The seats of the school bus must be of non-combustible materials for safety of school children.
12. Global Positioning System (GPS) and CCTV arrangement should be made compulsorily in each school bus. It shall be ensured by the owner of the bus that the GPS and CCTV thus installed, is kept in working condition at all the time.

3          Manpower in the Bus

1. a) Each school should designate one Transport Manager who will be entrusted with the responsibility to ensure the safety of school children travelling by school bus. Name and contact details of the Transport Manager of the school must be prominently displayed outside and inside the school bus.
2. b) The driver of the school bus shall possess a valid driving licence and must have minimum five years of experience of driving heavy vehicles.
3. c) In addition to the driver, there shall be a conductor, holding a valid licence, deployed in each bus, and his qualification, duties and functions should be in consonance with the provisions in Rule 17 of Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993.
4. d) Provision shall be made by the school authorities for at least one well-trained lady attendant, preferably a lady guard, in each school bus, to attend the school children travelling in the bus, who will ensure safe travel of the children during the entire journey and also render adequate assistance for safe boarding and de-boarding of the children.
5. e) The school authorities are also directed to voluntarily evolve an arrangement, as far as possible, that in each school bus at least one parent should be present, who would oversee the conduct of the driver and other staff present in the bus during the journey. This step would ensure that safety measures are complied with in letter and spirit and the driver drives carefully.
6. f) Under no circumstances any outsider except the bus driver, conductor, the authorized well trained lady guard and one parent of wards, shall be allowed to board the school bus.
7. Facilities in the Bus
8. a) The school bus must have a First Aid Box and drinking water.
9. b) To keep the school bags safely, there shall be a space fitted under the seats or at a convenient place inside the bus.
10. c) The school buses shall be fitted with alarm bell and siren so that in case of emergency everyone can be alerted.
11. d) The school bus shall not be fitted with curtains or glasses having films.
12. e) The school bus shall have sufficient white lighting inside the bus.
13. f) Activities inside the school bus should be visible from outside whenever the bus is plying on road.
14. Permits
15. a) Affiliated schools shall not own or hire any transport service which does not have valid permit or do not fulfill the requisite permit conditions prescribed by the State Transport Departments.
16. b) There should be valid Insurance of the school bus as well as passengers in the bus as per “The Motor Vehicles Act 1988”.
17. c) Medical checkup regarding the physical fitness of the driver including eye testing shall be made every year. Fitness certificate issued by the competent authority shall be obtained as per the safety standard under “The Motor Vehicles Act 1988”.
18. d) The driver who has been challaned more than twice in a year for any kind of offences which inter alia include red light jumping, violation of lane discipline or allowing unauthorized person to drive, cannot be employed by the school authorities.
19. e) The driver who has been challaned even once for the offence of over speeding, driving dangerously or for the offences under section 279, 337, 338 and 304A of the Indian Penal Code or under POCSO Act, 2012 cannot be employed by the school authorities.
20. f) The driver shall be dressed in the uniform of grey trouser and jacket or as prescribed by the State Transport Department with his name plate along with name of owner of the school bus distinctly embossed.
21. g) The school bus shall be driven by a driver having valid public service vehicle badge with photograph issued by the State Transport Department.
22. h) If age of the students is below 12 years, the number of students carried shall not exceed 1 ½ times the permitted seating capacity and the students above 12 years shall be treated as one person.
23. i) Periodical fitness certificate regarding roadworthiness of the school bus shall be obtained as per “The Motor Vehicles Act 1988”.
24. j) Any school authority and/or the driver of the school bus found to have violated the provision of “The Motor Vehicles Act 1988” and the rules framed thereunder as well as of the directions of the Board, State Government and the Courts must be penalized.
25. k) In case of hired school buses, the school authorities shall enter into a ‘valid agreement’ with the owner/tranporter of the school bus and the driver of the school bus shall carry a copy of such agreement.
26. l) The record having details of the students ferried indicating the name, class, residential address, blood group, points of stoppage, route plan should always be kept in readiness with the bus conductor inside the school bus.
27. m) Whenever a contract carriage is used for carrying the school children, the owner of the vehicle must give intimation to the local police station as well as the concerned District Traffic Police Authority clearly indicating the name of the driver and particulars of the vehicle etc.
28. n) The school bus drivers are restricted to use mobile phone while driving the school bus and are restricted to have interactions with the students and bus staff beyond a limit.
29. Arrangements to be made by school authorities
30. a) The school authority shall ensure that the doors of the school buses shall remain shut while the bus is in moving condition.
31. b) They will ensure that the school buses halt only at bus stops designated for the purpose and within the marked area.
32. c) The school authority shall make safe arrangement for boarding and de-boarding of school children from the school bus.
33. d) The school bus will remain in stationary mode while boarding and de-boarding of school children from the school bus.
34. e) Refresher training course with a view to fine-tune and increased proficiency of driving shall be imparted to drivers of the school bus periodically i.e. twice in a year.
35. f) No driver shall be allowed to drive the school bus in a drunken condition. Regular check up in this regard shall be undertaken by the school authorities. In case of any suspicion, the driver of the school bus must be subjected to ‘Medical Test’ immediately and appropriate action including action for cancellation of the driving licence shall be undertaken.
36. g) The school authority must provide one mobile phone in each school bus so that in case of emergency the school bus can be contacted or the driver/conductor of the school bus can contact the Police, State authority and the school authority.
37. h) The school authority shall ensure that the school buses are not permitted to over-take any four wheeler while carrying the school children.
38. i) The school authority shall ensure to train the students to maintain discipline while boarding, commuting and de-boarding the school bus so that no one gets hurt.
39. j) The school authority shall make necessary arrangements for parking of the school buses inside the school campus at the time of boarding and de-boarding of school children.
40. k) In case it is not possible to park the school buses inside the school campus, the school buses must be parked in such a way so that it does not create any traffic hazard for other vehicles.
41. l) Periodic feed-back from school children using school Transport facility with regards to driver/conductor be taken and records are to be maintainted.
42. m) The school authority should encourage the students to conduct programs through play, exhibition etc. during the Road Safety Week to create the awareness in public.
43. Advisory to Parents
44. a) Parents are equally responsible for the safety of their children during school journeys.
45. b) Parents must ensure that the mode of transport arranged by the school authorities or by themselves is absolutely safe for children.
46. c) They should note down the violations committed by the driver and other staff of the school buses and immediately report to the school authorities or the concerned State authorities.
47. d) Parents must participate in PTA meetings and discuss the safety aspects of their children.
48. e) Parents must avoid using the transport services from vehicles not having valid licence or permit to carry the school children.
49. f) Parents must play the role of a vigilant observer on this sensitive subject.

(K. Srinivasan)

Deputy Secretary (Affiliation)

Source: CBSE Portal