Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 23: Evolving a short term measure to ensure implementation of Supreme Court guidelines on the school buses in view of education institutions’ constrains on creating own fleet to cater to the requirement of transporting their students, the State Transport authorities have drafted a policy for hiring vehicles by the schools in Jammu and Kashmir.
The draft policy has been prepared by the Regional Transport Authority Jammu and submitted to higher quarters for further action and consequent implementation of the same, authoritative sources informed the Excelsior.
On the analogy of national capital New Delhi, the policy envisages introduction of contract carriage vehicles authorized for carriage of school students on an agreed rate complying the Supreme Court guidelines and running on assigned routes only.
Since the number of contract carriage buses in Jammu is very small and not adequate for purpose of hiring by the schools, the draft policy allows schools to hire the Stage Carriage buses, which surrender the route permit and get a Private Service Permit with the agreement of the school.
Similarly, vans and other similar vehicles with a seating capacity from 7+1 to 12+1 having contract carriage permits can also be hired by schools and granted contract carriage permits as School Cabs on the lines of the policy adopted by the Karnataka Government.
This can take care of the problem arising out of parents making their own arrangements for hiring such vehicles for transportation of their children, the Transport authorities explain in its draft policy.
So far, there has been no Transport policy on hiring of buses and other vehicles for transportation of school children in Jammu and Kashmir where the education institutions generally engage buses which have stage carriage permits to ply on different routes.
Interestingly, Delhi Public School Jammu is the only school in Jammu which obtains Temporary Permission for hired buses to be used for transportation of school children.
This practice has been subsisting for the last three years despite the fact that the Motor Vehicle Act does not allow temporary permission beyond a period of maximum four months.
Majority of schools in and around Jammu hire buses which have no permission for being on school duty while condition of these buses vis-à-vis the SC guidelines for ensuring safety of school children is also wanting.
As per SC guidelines, the school buses should be painted yellow, fitted with a First Aid Box, fire extinguisher, horizontal grills, reliable door locks, speed governor of specified standard, space fitted under the seats for keeping school bags, etc.
Since, majority of schools are not in a position to have their own fleet of vehicles while limited number of contract carriages is reluctant to be formally engaged for school duty owing to strict norms laid down by the Apex Court and Motor Vehicle rules, the situation forces the parents and school managements to hire Stage carriages, which are not authorized for the same but point to point picking up of passengers.
The new policy, once implemented, is likely to solve the problem of schools besides ensuring implementation of SC guidelines.
Besides listing the provisions for hiring buses by the schools, the draft policy also suggests exclusive smart school bus private transport companies, which will enter into contract with the schools that can not afford to invest in having their own fleet.
This type of transportation will help the schools to build up other infrastructure and academics rather than diverting resources into acquiring vehicles. These companies can only ply those buses that are passed by the Empowered Standing Committee and comply all guidelines and rules which are amended from time to time.
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