Expressing grave concern over the spate of accidents involving school buses, a Congress member in the Lok Sabha today made a strident plea for a national campaign to evolve standards for maintaining safety of vehicles carrying school children.
The guidelines issued by Supreme Court in 1997 on the safety standards of school buses have been “widely ignored, ….neglected and, in fact, treated with impunity”, Shashi Tharoor said during Zero Hour.
He referred to an accident last month in Kerala in which a van carrying nine kindergarten school children plunged into a canal, claiming lives of six children and that of a maid.
Observing that the van was not in proper condition and that the driver was only 19-year-old, Tharoor said it was clear that the van plunged into the canal due to over-speeding.
“Such incidents demand national attention and national response”, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.
He said the Supreme Court had clearly laid down guidelines for vehicle standards, speed regulations and rules that the drivers of vans and buses carrying school children should have 10 years” driving experience.
While school authorities, transport departments and those owning these vehicles were responsible for safety of children, Ministries like HRD, Child Development and Transport should also pool in efforts to “launch a national campaign on the basis of the Supreme Court guidelines”, Tharoor said.
He was supported by members from all political parties.
Name of Source: MSN news