Pic: Shashidhar Kosambe, chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights checking and verifying school buses and van documents to ensure safety of school children in BidarHubballi: It has come to light that many school vans are not adhering to the guidelines and norms prescribed in the Motor Vehicles Act to ensure the safety of children in Bidar and other districts.According to sources, three children have died after being hit by school vans in the last three months in Bidar district. A child died when it came under the wheel of a van while reversing in Ekamba village, Aurad taluk. Another child died after being hit by a van in Basavakalyan taluk, and in the third incident, a schoolchild was crushed under the wheel of a van at Janawad village, Bidar. In all three incidents, children died because of rash and negligent driving by the school van drivers.Taking these incidents seriously, the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights visited several schools in the district. They found that many vans employed by the schools are not adhering to the norms and conditions prescribed in the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Act. Shashidhar Kosambe, chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, told TOI that after these three incidents, they visited Bidar and checked some schools. They found that many school vans are not adhering to the Act. As per the Act, each school van must be equipped with CCTVs, GPS, and must have an attendant (aaya). Additionally, the driver of the van must have a heavy vehicle badge with more than 5 years of driving experience. The van must have a fitness certificate from the authorities. However, most of these rules are not being followed by some vans in the district.After conducting an initial investigation, the commission has also sought a report from the RTO and the education department on these three incidents within a week. They have also suggested stern action against those responsible for these incidents. Expressing concern over the negligent and rash driving by the school van drivers and for not following norms, Kosambe said that strict measures should be taken to avoid such incidents in the future.“All schools, not only in Bidar but across the state, should follow the rules and appoint an attendant in all school vans, appoint experienced drivers, install CCTVs, and follow other norms for the safety of children. In the absence of an attendant in school vans, there is no proper monitoring of children while boarding and deboarding the school vans,” he said.He also said senior officials of the RTO and the education department across the state should voluntarily launch a drive to check all school vans or buses in their respective jurisdictions to ensure that school vans and buses follow the guidelines. The commission is also planning to write to the govt to instruct the departments concerned in this direction, he added.
