KOLKATA: Three days after a pool car fell in a ditch in Polba, resulting in two of the students inside slipping into coma, another vehicle carrying six children collided with a scooterette near Kolkata station on Monday. A couple on the two-wheeler received injuries on their legs.
The SUV was ferrying the kids, studying in classes IV and V, to their homes from Scottish Church School. The injured have been identified as Abhijit Mondal (35) and Mamata Mondal (33). “Based on a complaint lodged by Abhijit, the driver, Md Shahil (20), was arrested by cops from the Ultadanga police station. The cab has been seized,” said DC (ESD) Ajoy Prasad.
The accident took place the same day a crackdown was launched against pool cars, many of which, cops said, used private cars for the commercial use. But the discovery of the day was far more shocking: a pool car driver near Taltala was found drunk, with a test revealing the alcohol content in his blood to be 246.2mg/100 ml. The amount allowed is 30mg/100 ml. Taltala police hinted he might be arrested and his licence cancelled.
Various traffic guards in the city carried out checks, stopping pool vehicles, checking their fitness certificates and examining whether they transported more kids than allowed. Most vehicles did not have first-aid boxes and not all cars had attendants, police said. “Certain things are beyond our ambit and can be prosecuted only by the transport department. We will collate the details and submit them to the transport department,” said a senior officer at Lalbazar, adding they would carry out regular checks. “ We have advised pool drivers to follow the basic security rules. We took action against only those who drove without the car’s fitness certificate,” said a sergeant from the Jorabagan traffic guard. Cops pointed out many parents had no choice but to send their kids in pool cars, which were unsafe and insecure.
Traffic police will check not only pool cars but also private buses ferrying kids for fitness certificates and examine if the vehicles were good enough to ply. The exercise will be videographed and the checking will be carried out after the kids are dropped off at their schools.
Cops want the owners of private school buses and pool cars to inform the OC of the local police stations and the DCP (traffic) the details of their vehicles and the names of the drivers. Drivers might even be sent for refresher courses, if necessary.
These are some of the basic actions that Lalbazar is going to implement, the deliberations for which began in November, after 14 kids and 10 others were injured in a school bus accident near Chitpore Lock Gate. The crackdown comes weeks after police commissioner Anuj Sharma told TOI he would take up the issue of fitness certificates of school buses with the transport department. “We will request the transport department to issue directives to ensure regular fitness tests on pool cars and buses,” Sharma had told TOI.
Last year, IIT researchers had said 45% pool cars and school buses were safe and only 27% were secure.
The SUV was ferrying the kids, studying in classes IV and V, to their homes from Scottish Church School. The injured have been identified as Abhijit Mondal (35) and Mamata Mondal (33). “Based on a complaint lodged by Abhijit, the driver, Md Shahil (20), was arrested by cops from the Ultadanga police station. The cab has been seized,” said DC (ESD) Ajoy Prasad.
The accident took place the same day a crackdown was launched against pool cars, many of which, cops said, used private cars for the commercial use. But the discovery of the day was far more shocking: a pool car driver near Taltala was found drunk, with a test revealing the alcohol content in his blood to be 246.2mg/100 ml. The amount allowed is 30mg/100 ml. Taltala police hinted he might be arrested and his licence cancelled.
TimesView
It is good that there is renewed attention on this sector. But action on the ground should not be a reaction to recent accidents. It should continue till there is a semblance of self-discipline.
Various traffic guards in the city carried out checks, stopping pool vehicles, checking their fitness certificates and examining whether they transported more kids than allowed. Most vehicles did not have first-aid boxes and not all cars had attendants, police said. “Certain things are beyond our ambit and can be prosecuted only by the transport department. We will collate the details and submit them to the transport department,” said a senior officer at Lalbazar, adding they would carry out regular checks. “ We have advised pool drivers to follow the basic security rules. We took action against only those who drove without the car’s fitness certificate,” said a sergeant from the Jorabagan traffic guard. Cops pointed out many parents had no choice but to send their kids in pool cars, which were unsafe and insecure.
Traffic police will check not only pool cars but also private buses ferrying kids for fitness certificates and examine if the vehicles were good enough to ply. The exercise will be videographed and the checking will be carried out after the kids are dropped off at their schools.
Cops want the owners of private school buses and pool cars to inform the OC of the local police stations and the DCP (traffic) the details of their vehicles and the names of the drivers. Drivers might even be sent for refresher courses, if necessary.
These are some of the basic actions that Lalbazar is going to implement, the deliberations for which began in November, after 14 kids and 10 others were injured in a school bus accident near Chitpore Lock Gate. The crackdown comes weeks after police commissioner Anuj Sharma told TOI he would take up the issue of fitness certificates of school buses with the transport department. “We will request the transport department to issue directives to ensure regular fitness tests on pool cars and buses,” Sharma had told TOI.
Last year, IIT researchers had said 45% pool cars and school buses were safe and only 27% were secure.
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