Transport Policy Guideline Bus

The State Transport Authority passed a new set of guidelines for school buses, which are furnished hereunder :-

• School bus drivers should have a minimum of five years' experience.
• Every school bus must have an experienced Lady Attendant / Conductor.
• (Two) Fire-extinguishers are compulsory on each school bus. Training is to be given to the Drivers / Attendants on its use, by Fire officers from the local Fire Brigade station.
• Each bus should necessarily have a First Aid Kit and Drivers / Attendants should be imparted with the training on its use, by experienced hospitals / compounder's.
• School buses should have a maximum of 1.5 kids per seat; e.g. a bus with 36 seats should not have more than 54 kids. No children shall be seated on the front, next to the Driver. The Driver’s portion of the Bus shall remain closed while the Bus is in Motion.
• Children should necessarily place their Bags, either below the seat or on the bag-racks above.
• In addition to the front door and emergency exit at the back, there must be a rear door situated between the back and the middle of the bus on the right hand side.
• The windows of bus must be fitted with horizontal grills (Min - 3, Max - 4 nos) so that emergency evacuation is easy and fast.
• The emergency exit window must not be sealed and should be easily openable in case of an emergency.
• The word "school bus" must be written across the rear as well as front of the bus for buses owned by schools along with the telephone number of the school / transport department. For private buses authorized by the School, the words "On School Duty" must be prominently written on the front and the rear of the bus, along with the telephone / contact number of the Transport Operator.
• The mobile number of the bus owner must be written across the bus for privately run buses, authorized by the School.
• In addition to a door at the front, there must be another emergency door on the right side, towards the rear of the bus. This door must extend from the windows to the floor of the bus.
• The emergency door must have handles on both sides so that it can be opened from the inside and the outside
• Handles must be covered with glass or plastic.
• Buses may have an alarm that goes off when the emergency door is opened
• Lights should start blinking when the rear door is opened. Note : Point Nos 15 and 16 are optional and not compulsory for the present.
• There should also be a rear exit window made of transparent glass. Its dimensions should be 39 inches by 23 inches and 3 inches by 8 inches
• Emergency window should have a handle on the inside as well as the outside.
• The main door of the school bus should be invariably locked and fastened properly, while the bus is in motion and should be only opened when children are boarding and/or alighting.
• Each bus will have one Conductor and Lady Attendant. (Any parent / Guardian or a Teacher may also be allowed to travel to ensure these Safety norms).
• All Road Transport Offices in the state should publicise the new norms and ensure that they are implemented by bus operators and manufacturers.
• All Schools will necessarily have a Transport Committee, comprising of the Principal, Transport Management and two / three parents who will meet regularly/periodically, to discuss shortcomings and bring about required improvements in the quality of services rendered.