Pune CP Retesh Kumaarr urges strict adherence to school bus safety rules
Pune CP Retesh Kumaarr urges strict adherence to school bus safety rules
By: Pune Pulse
December 16, 2023
Pune: In response to two recent accidents involving school buses in Wagholi and Shikrapur that resulted in injuries to students , Pune City Police Commissioner Retesh Kumaarr emphasized the critical need for adherence to safety rules during a District School Bus Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday.
Commissioner Kumaar directed school bus drivers to strictly comply with safety regulations, underscoring the significance of coordination among schools, the transport department, and the police to prevent accidents and prioritize student well-being.
Attending the committee meeting were Vijay Kumar Magar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sanjeev Bhor, Pune Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Atul Aade, Pimpri Chinchwad Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Rajendra Keskar, Baramati Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Municipal Council Chief, Zilla Parishad, and Municipal Corporation Education Officer were present..
Commissioner Kumaarr stressed the importance of frequent inspections, the School Transport Committee ensuring well-trained drivers, and the need for strict action against rule violators. He urged all concerned agencies to work in alignment with school bus regulations.
Commissioner Kumaarr also stated that the School Bus Safety Committee must ensure that the drivers of the buses are well trained, ethically sound & with a good track record. School buses should be inspected thoroughly. All the concerned agencies should hold frequent meetings to discuss & ensure that all school bus regulations are followed.
Magar emphasized the role of students in the school community and highlighted the school’s responsibility for their transportation. He called for auditing school transport practices, exercising sensitivity to prevent errors and the establishment of school transport committees in both government and private schools. Magar urged vigilance to proactively prevent untoward incidents, with prompt addressing of observed traffic violations by the transport department and police.
Aade underscored the necessity for schools to create memoranda of understanding for school bus transportation, ensuring compliance with regulations. The design of the vehicle must be modified as per the school bus regulations. It is the responsibility of the school as well as the School Transport Committee to ensure that students are not transported by private passenger vehicles that do not have an agreement with the school.
Bhor introduced the https://schoolbussafetypune.org website to facilitate the School Bus Transport Committee’s work and reported on inspections to curb illegal transportation. There are 10,270 school buses in the district and 5, 921 schools have registered on this website. The education department should take the initiative to make all the remaining schools register on it.
Furthermore, the Transport Department reported inspecting 2,214 school buses and 1,478 other vehicles from January 1 to December 11, 2023. Of these, 571 school buses and 379 other vehicles were found guilty, leading to the impoundment of 47 vehicles. A total fine of INR 1,01,02,000 was collected for rule violations during this enforcement period
