Character certificates must for school bus drivers, attendants

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

All school bus drivers and attendants must have valid character certificates, and schools must renew them every year, directed police commissioner Pravin Pawar and superintendent of police Dr. Vinaykumar Rathod during the District School Bus Safety Committee meeting held on Monday.

They also instructed schools to conduct regular vehicle fitness checks, create secure transport routes, and provide proper parking arrangements. Drivers and attendants must fully understand their responsibilities and prioritise student safety.

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Strict compliance with transport safety norms

The meeting, chaired jointly by commissioner Pawar and SP Rathod at the police commissionerate, focused on ensuring safe and accountable student transportation across the district. Officials present included DCP Sharmishta Gharage-Valawalkar, RTO Vijay Kathole, deputy RTO Swapnil Mane, Smart City Bus assistant manager Pramod Deshmukh, MSRTC divisional controller Sachin Kshirsagar, ACP Dhananjay Patil, municipal education officer Bharat Tingote, ZP primary education extension officer Sangeeta Salunke, secondary education officer D.T. Shirsath, rural traffic branch inspectors Kedar Palwe and Hareshwar Ghughe, traffic superintendent B.B. Wagh, and school representatives Munja Thombre and Omkar Phad.

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Emergency numbers, CCTV must inside buses

All student transport vehicles must prominently display police, ambulance, and fire helpline stickers. Schools were also told to install CCTV cameras inside buses and adopt effective safety systems.

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Students must be trained in emergency response

Education officials were asked to ensure that students receive hands-on training in using fire extinguishers and emergency exit doors, making them better prepared during crises.

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Photo Caption:

At the District School Bus Safety Committee meeting: commissioner Pravin Pawar, SP Dr. Vinaykumar Rathod, RTO Vijay Kathole, deputy RTO Swapnil Mane, and other key officials.