School transport safety: accidents worry parents

School transport safety:

accidents worry parents

Farsana Jaleel A

            The concern of parents opting private vehicles to carry their children to school is steadily growing. Many parents fear for the safety of their children who are left at the mercy of such vehicle operators. And the cause for their fear and concern justifies the accidents that take place often.

            Four students of Thumba Jyothinilayam H.S.S were killed and many others injured when a minibus carrying them plunged in to Parvathy Puthanar near Channankara last month. Another accident of a similar nature occurred last February involving Parvathy Puthanar near Karikkakam. It had claimed seven lives including an Aya. Reckless driving was the reason cited then. Following the accident, several corrective measures, including strict checking of school buses were done then, but had to stop in the middle due to the interference by vested interests, it is alleged.

                        The accident at Channankara has caused due to laxity on the part of the law – enforcing agencies, it is reliably learnt. Besides flouting school transport norms co-ordination between police, Education Department and Motor Vehicles Department is found wanting.

            The driver of ill – fated vehicle that plunged into the water near Karikkakam last February was busy with his mobile phone when the accident occurred.

            Preliminary findings show the private vehicle involved in the Channankara accident had a seating capacity of 16 but was jam – packed with 24 students. It is also revealed that the driver was inexperienced and did not possess a badge required for plying school buses. Many feel that the bad condition of roads contributed to these tragedies.

            An increasing number of schools continues to flout norms in this regard, said an official source. Some of the schools also fail to ensure the services of a teacher as nodal officer for transport safety.