Eluru: District S.P K. Pratap Siva Kishore and Deputy Transport Commissioner Shaik Karim jointly conducted an awareness session with managements of private educational institutions regarding the safe operation and supervision of school and college buses at the District Police Headquarters in Eluru on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering, the SP emphasized that educational institution managements and special officers must give utmost priority to the maintenance and safety standards of school buses. He stated that the responsibility of safely transporting students lies with both the managements and bus drivers, and stressed that only experienced and well-trained drivers should be appointed.
The SP warned that negligence in bus safety could endanger the lives and future of students and deeply affect their families. He instructed institutions to procure breath analyzers and regularly screen drivers and staff before duty. He also directed managements to mandatorily install dashboard cameras in every school bus, explaining that the footage could be monitored through the Police Control Room and would serve as crucial evidence in the event of accidents or untoward incidents.
Further, he announced that the Police Department would provide free background verification services for drivers and staff members before recruitment. He also instructed institutions to display police-issued QR code posters on the front and rear sides of all buses.
Additional SP G. Muniraja stated that buses should be maintained without any technical defects and noted that accidents can be prevented through discipline and proper supervision. Deputy Transport Commissioner Shaik Karim urged educational institutions to strictly follow the Transport Department's safety checklist and emphasized the mandatory installation of Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTD) in all buses.
Officials highlighted several mandatory safety norms, including valid registration, insurance, permits, fitness certificates, experienced drivers below 60 years of age, first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, emergency contact details, emergency exits, appointment of attendants for children, periodic inspections, adherence to seating capacity, and a maximum speed limit of 60 kmph.
RTO S. B. Sekhar, Motor Vehicle Inspector Ramesh Babu, AMVI S. Jagadeesh Babu, Traffic Inspector Lakshmana Rao, DTRB SI K. Rambabu and Madhu, along with representatives, principals, and transport in-charges from various educational institutions, participated in the program.
