RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, May 4: Regulation of over 550 school buses across the city is still a challenge as district authorities are intentional to regulate it properly.
This reflects every day since morning when buses start running on the road to collect students from different stoppages across the state and continue till 1.30 pm when the buses return to school after dropping students.
“In morning hours one can observe school buses overspeeding due to absence of traffic personnel and traffic signals while after 10.30 am one can notice chaos on the main roads due to movement of school buses creating intermittent jam,” a Ratu Road resident using their personal vehicle to take his son to school and bring him back said.
A resident of Harmu, Deepak Kumar, supported the observation saying ‘after school buses come on the road it becomes a challenging task to move.’
Traffic personnel deputed at Harmu bypass road supported the observation saying ‘from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm is a tough time for us due to movement of school buses.’
“We have been asked to not stop school buses and allow their movement like ambulances and thus we have to remain alert. Though we take all precautions, sometimes we fail to regulate the traffic properly as school buses come in big numbers and start dropping children at different stoppages on the Main Road causing hindrance for the vehicles behind the school buses,” the traffic personnel said.
Contacted by SP (traffic) Jeetvahan Oraon for his comment he said an attempt is being taken to regulate the buses properly.
“We regularly monitor regulation of school buses and ensure that they ensure proper road safety. However, the district transport officer (DTO) will be able to explain things in a better way,” Oraon said.
Contacted DTO Praveen Kumar Prakash for his comment, he shared the steps he has taken for the regulation of school buses.
“School managements have been asked to ensure the installation of speed governors and fire extinguishers in the buses. Apart from this, they have been asked to ensure the proper provision of emergency exit and first aid boxes. They have to ensure the fitting of safety grills on the window and display of school telephone numbers on the back of buses. It is their duty to see whether drivers and cleaners of school buses are in proper uniform or not. At the parking lot the management is expected to install CCTV cameras,” DTO Prakash said.
A bus driver, however, said the entire exercise is perfunctory at best as no step has been taken to regulate the trip.
“During morning hours speeding becomes a must as drivers have been asked to do several trips in limited time. As there are many stoppages beside the main road it becomes difficult to avoid jams. Drivers and cleaners of outsourced buses used to be unruly as they are not under the control of school management but under the control of an outsourced agency,” the driver said.
