Gaya: Concerned over a spate of accidents, mounting complaints of reckless driving and blatant violation of safety norms, Gaya traffic police has decided to launch a special enforcement drive against school bus operators to ensure strict compliance with CBSE safety guidelines, including mandatory installation of speed governors.Traffic deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sudhir Kumar said counselling, advisories and mild warnings issued earlier to school bus operators had failed to yield results, making stringent enforcement unavoidable in the interest of children’s safety. “The safety of schoolchildren cannot be left to chance. With repeated complaints and fatal incidents, strict action has now become necessary,” he said.Reckless driving by school bus drivers trying to adhere to tight schedules has emerged as a major concern. Complaints are also common about buses entering congested lanes and narrow roads, choking traffic and endangering pedestrians. Official estimates suggest that over 300 school buses criss-cross city roads and by-lanes two to four times a day, increasing risk during peak hours.In recent months, several minor mishaps involving school buses have been reported, apart from at least two fatal accidents. Both fatal incidents occurred on the busy Gaya–Dobhi Road, which houses several prominent schools, including DAV and DPS. Adding to the concern, a school bus driver allegedly misbehaved with a girl student in Sherghati a few days ago, further highlighting gaps in monitoring and accountability.Despite repeated warnings by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), school bus operators continue to flout prescribed norms with impunity, activist B N Pathak alleged. He pointed out that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had issued a detailed circular as early as Feb 23, 2017, laying down standard operating procedures for school buses, but implementation remains poor on the ground.The CBSE guidelines mandate that all school buses must be painted yellow with “School Bus” displayed prominently on the front and rear, use non-combustible seating material, and be equipped with fire safety arrangements. Other essentials include functional GPS and CCTV cameras, grille-fitted windows, emergency exits, speed governors capped at 40 kmph, uniformed drivers with name tags, a transport manager, at least one female attendant, adequate lighting, secure gate locks, space for school bags and a fully stocked first-aid box.However, there is currently no effective mechanism to ensure adherence. District education officer Krishna Murari Gupta said enforcement was the responsibility of the district transport office, while DTO Rajesh Kumar said oversight of school bus operations primarily rested with the education department.Amid this blame game, traffic police officials said the upcoming drive would focus on on-road checks, document verification and penal action against violators to ensure that schoolchildren travel safely.
