Precautionary measures: Transport department to regulate school vans

KARACHI:

The provincial transport department has decided to regulate and improve the safety standards of school vans in the wake of the deadly school bus accident in Nawabshah on January 15.

The department has announced that it will send proposals to the school managements and school van operators and will also seek their input, after which the proposals will be made obligatory for every operator.



Sources in the transport department told The Express Tribune that representatives of the Sindh traffic police, private schools director-general and representatives of the private schools association have held a meeting with the provincial transport secretary in which the safety and regulation of the school vans were discussed. “We are proposing a proper colour code, registration of the school vans as commercial vehicles, vehicle fitness certificates, assuring CNG cylinder and kit safety, body safety of the vehicle and installation of fire extinguishers in the school vans,” said the official.

He was of the opinion that the van operators will likely retaliate on the colour code issue because they also use these vans for other commercial activities after school duties.  “If the colour coding is not acceptable, then the vehicles should display the words ‘School Van’ or ‘School Bus’ prominently,” he said.

Sindh transport secretary Taha Faruqui stressed the need for all stockholders to cooperate. “Without the support of the school management, traffic police and van operators, our efforts will be pointless,” he said. He added that the department has also asked the operators and school managements to develop a two-page guide for children on what to do in case of a fire and to deploy a conductor with each van. “We will give time to the van operators to ensure all the rules in the proposal are complied with. Strict action will be taken against the violators after the deadline.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2014.