UT fixes speed for school buses at 40 kmph

The UT has also directed that all new school buses will be given permits only after they are presented before a board that will inspect them and see if speed-governors have been installed.

School bus operators have been told that the speed-governors should ensure the vehicle is incapable of being driven in excess of the fixed speed, which is 40 kilometres per hour in any part of the city. The orders were issued under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

According to the instructions, the speed-governor (conforming to standard AIS-018), once fitted, will have a seal of the STA, which will ensure that it cannot be tampered without the seal being broken.

The Administration has also ordered that the speed-governors would have to be mended and updated from time to time by the bus operators.

There have been many accidents in Chandigarh in the past, which were a result of reckless driving by the drivers of school buses.

In October, the Chandigarh Traffic Police had announced that they would ban the entry of school buses to the inner (V6) roads of the sectors. The police are, however, yet to implement the decision. Officers said they needed to work out a plan as they had received certain requests from a few schools that have entrances on V6 roads.

Every time an accident occurred involving a school bus, the school authorities had shrugged off responsibilities, claiming that the buses were not under their purview, and blamed everything on the bus operators and contractors.

Mandatory guidelines

Paint pattern
* Buses should be painted yellow with a 254-mm wide strip of dark blue
* Crest of the institution should be painted below the dark blue strip in white

Route board
Buses will carry a board showing the name of the school, route and timings on the front

Qualification of drivers
The driver should have at least five years of experience in driving the same kind of vehicle and he should not have been issued challans for more than three times for traffic violations and charged under Sections pertaining to rash and negligent driving or causing death by negligence

Uniform
Drivers will wear a uniform displaying name and licence number

Medical fitness
Drivers will have to undergo medical fitness tests by the civil surgeon once in five years

Training
Drivers will be imparted a refresher course arranged by the Transport department at least once in two years

Seating capacity
No bus will carry children in excess of 1.5 per cent of its registered seating capacity

Fire extinguisher and first aid box
All buses will carry first-aid boxes and fire extinguishers and also the documents pertaining to fitness and insurance of the vehicle