Schools to submit transport info by March 21

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 10

Officials from the district administration, District Transport Office and the Education Department held a meeting with various schools managements to emphasize on implementation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directions regarding “Safe school transport policy” in order to ensure safety of students in vehicles used by educational institutes.

Sub divisional magistrate (city-I), Rajesh Gupta, who was heading the meeting, directed representatives of various school managements to fill pro forma for furnishing details of vehicles provided by the Transport Department to institutes and submit the same to the administration by March 21.

Once these forms reach the administration, each and every school transport would be checked to ensure whether all vehicles adhered to the specified norms, said Gupta. He added that the school managements would have to face the music if they failed to follow the norms in letter and spirit.

Speaking on the occasion, district transport officer Lovejit Kalsi said no compromise would be made with the safety of schoolchildren and school managements should comply with the stipulated norms. She said schools were already informed about the rules and regulations for plying their own means of transportation. Vehicles, which had outlived their lives or more than 15-years old, should be discarded and replaced with new ones, she added. She said schools were given extension in period for upgrading their vehicles as was demanded by managements and now it was time to take action. School managements could also visit the website of Punjab Transport to know about the guidelines issued by the High Court, she added.

District education officer (secondary) Satinderbir Singh urged school managements to furnish names of their representatives in the school transport committee.