Pune RTO Urges Schools To Recruit Women For School Vans
Pune RTO Issues Final Warning Over Unfit School Buses Ahead Of New Academic Year
In the wake of a recent incident involving the sexual abuse of two six-year-old girls by a school van driver, the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) has called on schools to hire female staff for school transport vehicles and introduced a new portal for monitoring compliance with safety regulations.
Regional Transport Officer Archana Gaikwad emphasized the importance of forming a School Transport Committee (STC) in every school, as required by law. This committee, comprising police, RTO officials, and parent representatives, will ensure that schools adhere to safety standards. Gaikwad mentioned that a website, https://schoolbussafetypune.org, has been launched to track how well schools follow the prescribed safety rules.
To improve the safety of students, particularly those traveling by school buses and vans, the RTO has directed schools to appoint female staff members on board. These staff members are expected to supervise the safety of children during their commute.
Sub-Regional Transport Officer Swapnil Bhosale in an interview with The Indian Express shared that the RTO has started inspecting school buses and vans, deploying 10 teams consisting of 20 officers to check for violations of student transport rules. School officials have also been instructed to regularly update student transport details on the portal, and non-compliant schools may face action from the education department.
Additionally, parents can access the reports submitted by schools and file complaints through the portal if they observe any violations, further enhancing transparency and safety in school transportation.
