Safety a casualty for children studying in schools run by PMC as they have to use public bus service or arrange for other modes of transport
Safety a casualty for children studying in schools run by PMC as they have to use public bus service or arrange for other modes of transport
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Even as the state government has cracked the whip on private schools asking them to take the responsibility for safety of children travelling by school buses, the education board officials of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) seemed to have claimed immunity from the rules. The state issued a government resolution informing schoolsu00a0-- including public and private schoolsu00a0-- that they have to form a school bus committee and ensure that the means of transport for students follow government norms.
On their own: Kids studying in PMC schools scurry to board a PMPML
bus as they have to make their own arrangements. Pic/Krunal Gosavi
The PMC schools are yet to follow the new set of rules. Of the 293 schools, only about 20 to 25 schools identified as 'Vidya Niketan'u00a0-- schools for scholarly children identified by the PMCu00a0-- have the privilege of transport facility. For the remaining 270-odd schools, the children's parents are expected to arrange the transport.
Sambhaji Jadhav, assistant education officer, PMC said they had just received the new notification from the state and would do the needful in Vidya Niketan schools. "For other schools, it is pointless as we don't have buses. Even the existing ones are not exclusively school buses; they are actually public transport buses. Our students can travel for free on these buses but only as passengers," he said.
Arun Yeola, regional transport officer, said the state notification on school bus transport is applicable to all schools whether corporation-owned or private. "The public transport buses that ferry students for free are exempt from following these norms. The GR, however, asks all schools to form this committee which is compulsory. The schools are also expected to take the initiative to form the committee and ensure that students can travel safely. Shirking responsibility by stating that we don't own or run buses is not an option," he said.
Unfair: Pvt schools
Private schools said it was unfair to impose the new norms only on them. They said the government was unnecessarily pressurising them and looking the other way when it came to public schools. "If rules are meant to be followed, then let it be applicable for all. We are supposed to monitor if more than four kids are crammed into an auto rickshaw or if buses have a list of students and fire extinguishers, but for PMC, it's easy to say we don't have buses at all. Does that mean safety of students is limited to private schools?" asked the principal of a leading school.
New norms
> Every school bus should have School Bus or on School Bus Duty written boldly in yellow paint on the rear and front side of the bus
> A transport committee is to be set up in every school across the state
> Exclusive bus stops to be assigned for school buses
> Vehicles need to carry details of children on board and a route map. Also, they have to be equipped with first-aid boxes, fire extinguishers, convex cross view mirrors, hand rails, low floor doors and emergency exits
> Drivers should have at least five years of experience and should exceed the speed limit of 40 kmph
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