To curb harassment, child rights body issues transport guidelines for schools
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) has issued comprehensive transport safety guidelines for all schools in response to the increasing cases of harassment of students during their travel to and from school.
Chairperson Susieben Shah highlighted that these guidelines aim to enhance transparency in child safety measures.
Key components of the guidelines include the installation of CCTVS and GPS systems in all school buses, mandatory weekly and monthly training sessions, the appointment of a female bus attendant in each bus, display of essential details on the exterior of buses for public visibility, including driver information, school contact, vehicle registration number, and school name, implementation of speed governors to regulate speed limits for safe commuting, provision of alarm and siren mechanisms for emergencies.
Furthermore, the guidelines mandate the formation of transportation committees within schools, comprising management representatives, ParentTeacher Association (PTA) members, and students to oversee safety measures and address transportation-related issues.
Shah said, “These guidelines were developed in collaboration with various stakeholders, including Mumbai Police, transport officials, education officers, municipal corporation representatives, unaided school representatives, private school owners, and the school bus owner’s association.”
In addition to safety meas
ures on buses, the guidelines emphasise the importance of parental involvement and awareness, with provisions for workshops on child safety, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) guidelines, and appropriate conduct.
The guidelines also address specific concerns, such as prohibiting curtains or films on bus windows, ensuring visibility of activities inside the bus,
installing safety grilles, and restricting outsourcing of services during school excursions.
Moreover, stringent criteria are outlined for hiring drivers, including character verification by the police and adherence to traffic regulations.
Drivers are prohibited from using mobile phones while driving and must maintain professional boundaries with students.
“This is a welcome move by MSCPCR, but we are worried about the implementation of these rules.
There are several guidelines available for the school bus operator, but we will see that very few are implemented. We are expecting better implementation from the authorities,” said Yashwant Kasargaod, a parent of a class 4 girl student.