No GPS or cams in school buses, find inspections

Gurgaon: Non-functional GPS, defunct cameras, attendants lacking knowledge of first aid kits and drivers without police verification — a sudden inspection of several school buses in the city threw up questions about the safety of children travelling in these vehicles.
On Friday, a meeting was convened by the Gurgaon administration to follow up on guidelines issued to schools on the safety of their students on the road. Deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav said action would be taken against any school found to have violated the guidelines.
Yadav also urged the parents and residents in general to inform the regional transport authority (RTA) if they found school buses lacking any of the safety features. “A meeting of private schools was organised and they were apprised of the policy and norms in detail. They will have to ensure they follow the policy. School buses will be seized if they are found violating the norms,” Yadav clarified.
At the meeting, the SDMs of Gurgaon, Pataudi and Badshahpur submitted reports on the inspection of school buses.
Satish Yadav, the Badshahpur SDM, pointed out that there were snarls near Presidium School when buses stopped to pick up or drop children. Ankita Chaudhary, his Gurgaon counterpart, found GPS missing in the buses and the drivers and attendants lacking any knowledge of first aid kits. Many of the drivers were not verified either. Pataudi SDM Pradeep Kumar highlighted the lack of CCTV cameras and first aid kits in the buses.
The deputy commissioner ordered that the buses be issued challans. “The safety of children is of utmost importance. We will not allow the violation of any norms,” said Yadav.
At the meeting, DCP (traffic) RS Tomar highlighted the issue of water-logging and potholes on the roads, which lead to traffic congestion. He also pointed out some blackspots such as MDI, IFFCO Chowk and Shankar Chowk. It was decided to ensure proper markings for pedestrians to avoid accidents.