Pune Police Commissioner Calls for Collective Effort to Enhance School Bus Safety Standards

Pune, 16th December 2023: Following two recent school bus accidents in Wagholi and Shikrapur resulting in student injuries, Pune City Police Commissioner Retesh Kumaarr highlighted the urgent need for strict adherence to safety regulations during a District School Bus Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday.

Commissioner Kumaar emphasized the imperative role of school bus drivers in ensuring student safety. He directed them to rigorously follow safety protocols and stressed the importance of coordinated efforts among schools, the transport department, and the police to prevent accidents and prioritize student well-being.

Present at the committee meeting were key officials, including Vijay Kumar Magar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sanjeev Bhor, Pune Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Atul Aade, Pimpri Chinchwad Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Rajendra Keskar, Baramati Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Municipal Council Chief, Zilla Parishad, and Municipal Corporation Education Officer.

Commissioner Kumaarr urged for frequent inspections and emphasized the need for well-trained drivers, advocating strict action against rule violators. He called for all relevant agencies to align with school bus regulations and ensure their comprehensive implementation.

Additionally, Kumaarr emphasized the School Bus Safety Committee’s responsibility to guarantee drivers’ ethical standards and a clean track record, along with thorough inspections of school buses. He urged concerned agencies to conduct regular meetings to enforce and monitor compliance with school bus regulations.

Magar underscored the vital role of students in the school community and highlighted schools’ responsibility for their transportation. He called for the auditing of school transport practices, proactive measures to prevent errors, and the establishment of school transport committees in government and private schools. Magar emphasized vigilance to address observed traffic violations promptly.

Aade stressed the importance of schools creating memoranda of understanding for school bus transportation, ensuring compliance with regulations, and modifying vehicle design according to school bus regulations. He highlighted the joint responsibility of schools and the School Transport Committee to prevent students’ transportation by private passenger vehicles without agreements with the school.

Bhor introduced the website https://schoolbussafetypune.org to facilitate the School Bus Transport Committee’s work. He reported on inspections to curb illegal transportation, revealing that 10,270 school buses in the district, with 5,921 schools registered on the website. Bhor urged the education department to encourage all remaining schools to register.

Furthermore, the Transport Department reported inspecting 2,214 school buses and 1,478 other vehicles from January 1 to December 11, 2023. Of these, 571 school buses and 379 other vehicles were found guilty, leading to the impoundment of 47 vehicles. A total fine of INR 1,01,02,000 was collected for rule violations during this enforcement period.