Guidelines issued on transport of schoolchildren

Updated on: Wednesday, November 17, 2010

In order to ensure safe transportation of students, the Transport Department has issued a circular with elaborate instructions to parents, institutions and police personnel.

Parents have been asked to urge their children to avoid speaking to any stranger who may initiate a conversation with them on their way to or back from school. Children should be trained to quickly walk away from strangers who may intercept them, the circular states.

When strangers in cars or other vehicles offer a lift, children should be taught to refuse and also inform someone at a nearby shop or a police person standing nearby.

Children should be asked not to go with anyone other than the person who picks them up or escorts them. If there is a change in pick-up arrangement, children should be informed about it in advance.

For institutions

The Transport Department has also given specific instructions and some safety guidelines to schools. Institutions have been asked to make sure that all vehicles transporting students, which have a permit, should have “school/college vehicles” displayed on them. If institutions engage private vehicles to transport students, they should also have to have “school/college vehicles” displayed on them.

Vehicles should strictly adhere to seating capacity. They should have a first-aid box and fire extinguishing equipment. The phone numbers of the school or college the vehicle caters to should be written on the vehicle.

The vehicles should have horizontal grills for the protection of students. The vehicles should be painted yellow to help distinguish them from other vehicles on the road.

Drivers of such vehicles should hold a Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) Licence for at least 10 years. They should not have been penalised for traffic violations more than twice. Drivers should check if the doors of the vehicles are locked properly before starting. Apart from the driver, each of these vehicles should have an attendant.

Adequate space should be made available below the seats for children to keep their school bags. Institutions should have a designated teacher looking at safety aspects of vehicles transporting students to the institution.

Educational institutions operating vehicles for transporting students should fill the form of authorisation to be carried by a driver of a transport vehicle (AVT form) with the complete details of the drivers of the vehicles. The form, which should also have a photograph of the driver, should be attested and countersigned by the local police officer and the Regional Transport Officer respectively. A photocopy of this form should be placed inside the vehicle in a manner that it is clearly visible. This form should be renewed at the beginning of every academic year. If anyone other than the driver mentioned in the form is seen driving the vehicle while transporting students, the vehicle may be considered as violating permit norms and police may initiate action to cancel the permit.

Every institution should allocate space for parking the vehicles where students will board or get down from the vehicles. Police personnel have been asked to ensure that such a space is allocated.

Managements should also maintain detailed records with the complete details of the drivers and attendants of the vehicles. Attendants should be provided with a cellular phone. In addition to urging the Transport and Traffic Departments to enhance overall vigil and monitor vehicles transporting children closely, the Transport Department has also requested institutions to take up issues related to safe commute and transportation to the institutions for discussion in the classroom.

Guidelines issued on transport of schoolchildren

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