Transport and school authorities have failed to adhere to state government GR issued in March.
The latest circular issued by the school education department to schools for the safe transport of students might just be another official document.
The transport and school authorities had not seriously taken a similar government resolution (GR) issued by the state government in March.
Taking cognisance of accidents to vehicles carrying schoolchildren earlier this year, the state government had issued a GR on March 22 in which specifications regarding the transport committees at the district and the school level, permit-issuing procedure for vehicles used for school transport, and specifications regarding the vehicles used for schoolchildren transport were mentioned.
Pedestrians First convenor, Prashant Inamdar, who is fighting the cause of schoolchildren transport safety for more than 10 years said, “I feel it will be a paper exercise. Earlier, the government had issued a resolution that was full of loopholes as it did not specify the vans and autorickshaws carrying schoolchildren. How such circulars will empower school authorities to take action on vehicles carrying children?”
According to Inamdar, the traffic police and regional transport office (RTO) are empowered by the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, to take action against vehicles carrying students illegally, but the former fail to do so.
“Any private vehicle is not allowed for contract carriage, but nearly 90% of vans carrying schoolchildren are private vehicles, but neither the RTO nor the traffic police department take any action on such vehicles. Now, how can we expect the school authorities to act tough?”
Inamdar said such kind of circulars will only invite a blame game between traffic police, RTO and school authorities.
Although the government issued the GR in March, the RTO is yet to act tough on vehicles overloading schoolchildren in the city. Even the regional transport officials admitted to not carrying out any special drive against school transport vehicles to check whether they are following the specifications of the GR.
Regional transport officer (Pune division), Arun Yeola said, “The GR issued in March was for the police department. However, the present circular has come out with a new code of conduct that the schools have to follow.”
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