Looking at the growing number of cases of critical nature being reported from the school buses including accidents and mistreatment of the students by the driving staff, it has become a necessity to implement safety guidelines in school buses including the installation of CCTV cameras as the same is crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of students.
It is good that the Transport Commissioner has convened a meeting with representatives of school authorities regarding the safety audit of vehicles ferrying students but what has been decided should also be implemented in letter and spirit because despite such discussions in the past, there are many schools which put things in abeyance mode and show lethargy in doing things on ground. The safety of children is paramount and therefore the helmsmen should ensure proper implementation of guidelines this time as the Apex Court has also given certain directions in this matter making it necessary for the authorities to comply as soon as possible.
It is pertinent to mention that the presence of CCTV cameras serve as an effective tool for monitoring the behaviours of students, bus drivers and other helpers thus acting as a strong deterrent against bullying, misconduct, and other harmful activities. Besides, the recorded footage can provide valuable evidence to investigate and resolve any disputes or accidents. It is the duty of all the stakeholders including the government, traffic police, school authorities and parents representatives to ensure that vehicles used for ferrying students are fit and safe for transportation.
The Transport Commissioner has taken a pragmatic step in this regard by setting January 31st, the deadline for all schools to install CCTV cameras in the school buses, vans and other vehicles used to ferry the children to schools and back home. This step once complied with will ensure safety up to level next as things will become transparent and handy as well. There are other guidelines also which the school authorities should follow without any compromises because each and every guideline holds its own significance as far as making the travel of students safe and incident-free. Only functional speed governors fitted vehicles with the speed fixed at 40 km/h have been authorised to ferry students, and this also implies for the private vehicles attached with different schools.
All said and done, as the primary stakeholders, it is the duty of school authorities to ensure that the vehicles assigned to ferry students also comply with other mandatory guidelines including emergency exit doors, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, GPS trackers, CCTV cameras, fire detection alarm system, etc. Together, these measures can create a secure and accountable environment, promoting peace of mind for parents and school authorities therefore the concerned quarters should make sure that not even a single guideline should be ignored as the same could prove perilous and detrimental to safety and security of students.
