Squashed like sardines in private vehicles

REALITY CHECK

The recent accident on Attibele Main Road, involving a school bus, cost a young boy his life.

School buses driven rashly and overcrowded private vehicles are a common sight in the City.

The accident has raised the question whether the school management is doing enough to ensure that the children are transported safely and does the RTO clamp down on offenders who overload their vehicles with children?

Metrolife interacted with various schools’ management, the RTO and spoke to a few private vehicle owners to understand the situation.

Schools’ management claim they’ve taken all measures to ensure that the children travel safe to school by the school buses.

Special identity cards are issued to the drivers and the personal details of the drivers are collected at the time of their appointment. The school authorities say that they buy buses that are designed to transport only a limited number of children. A few schools issue bus passes to make sure that the bus is not overcrowded.

Varun Sequeira, manager of the transport at the National Public School says each of their school buses are provided with first-aid kit, safety bars for windows, foldable extra door step, emergency exit door and fire extinguisher. They also have extra handles that are easily accessible to children, and luggage racks.

“Our vehicles are GPS activated not only for our convenience but also for the parents who can locate the vehicle on the site. We are also introducing the first of its kind swiping cards, wherein the child swipes the card and a message is sent to the parents’ cellphone to inform when their child reached school and returned home,” explains Varun.

The school authorities have two managers who make sure the drivers conduct themselves well.

Srish Kumar, founder and president of Kensri School in Hebbal says every driver of the school bus is hired only after a thorough background check. “The drivers are issued identity cards and have to wear their uniform during work. We’ve recently issued bus passes to the students who travel by the school bus. This is to ensure that only passholders are ferried in the bus,” says Srish. The school management has also decided to give cellphones to the drivers after barring the outgoing call facility. 

Sophia Girls’ High School has hired eleven BMTC buses to transport the kids to school and back home.

Middle school teachers Latha and Prithvi say, “There are children aged between six years and 16 years who travel in the buses. A maximum of three children sit on a seat. There are two teachers who travel with the children to ensure that they are dropped and picked up on time and that the bus is not overloaded,” says Latha who travels by the bus.

Prithvi points out that the risk factor is a lot less because no other people travel by the bus except teachers and students.

The RTO authorities say they’re doing everything to ensure school buses comply the rules and private vehicles don’t violate norms. Joint Commissioner of Transport Kumar H G says that it is illegal for private cars and autos to transport kids, “They need a special permit from the RTO. We conducted a drive and detained 50 to 60 cars and a fine of Rs 2,000 was slapped on the offenders,” says Kumar. He explains that when these offenders are caught their licence is cancelled. A fine of Rs 200 is charged for overcrowding. He adds, “We also hope to bring in a legislation to prosecute the
offenders.”

Private vehicle operators who transport kids to school do it for some extra income.
Sagaya Raj, an auto driver says he makes sure he doesn’t pack more than six kids in the auto. “We have the permission to take six or seven children. Overcrowding means we will have to pay a fine of Rs 200,” he says. Sagaya Raj makes more than Rs 10,000 a month from his school trips.