Chandigarh: Prior to school opening after the summer holidays, the UT Education Department and police decided to ensure better safety for the students in school buses. School heads are directed by the District Education Officer to get police verification of the school bus drivers and conductors. The DEO asked the schools to follow the guidelines.
In order to meet the July 1 deadline,school bus operators are busy installing GPS and CCTV cameras on buses.
The department issued strict instructions for schools and transporters on May 19th to ensure better safety of girls travelling by school buses after the school girl molestation issue.
Sarvjit Singh, Finance Secretary, UT, made it mandatory to deploy women attendants,install GPS and CCTV cameras on the buses of schools, coaching centres, call centres and other institutions from July 1.
Circular of District Education Officer to schools
A circular has been issued by DEO Saroj Mittal after taking note of a letter by UT police chief to the schools on June 23. The schools were directed to follow the guidelines keenly.
Copy of the circular is with Chandigarh Tribune. He stated that SSP has observed that anti-social elements are being deployed on school buses without any verification. Therefore, the verification of both the bus drivers and conductors should be done thoroughly.
GPS on buses
Members of the Chandigarh School Bus Operators Welfare Association are busy implementing GPS and CCTV in school buses after expressing their inability to install them by June-end.
Association president Manjit Singh claimed that a contract has been given to a company for installing CCTV cameras and the GPS. “We are doing our best to meet the deadline fixed by the Administration, but company officials have expressed their inability to fix the equipment in over 800 buses by June-end,” said Manjit Singh.