New Delhi: Friday’s accident by a school bus driver is not an isolated one. Crashes involving school buses are becoming frequent in Delhi, indicating the need for a crackdown by all stakeholders, including police and school administrations.
Several social media users have posted pictures and videos of violations by school buses on platforms such as X and agree that the vehicles are driven rashly.
In most cases involving school buses, the drivers have been unhurt and the casualties have been on the other side, analyses of recent accidents suggest. “Even if arrested, they have been able to go home from the police station itself as the offence is bailable even if the crash causes a death,” an officer said.
This Jan, a 12-year-old girl died after being hit by a school bus in southeast Delhi's Sarita Vihar. The victim's mother was crossing the road with her daughter and had gestured for the bus to halt, but the driver did not heed her. The driver was arrested but got a spot bail.
Last Oct, at least seven schoolchildren and the driver of their van were injured after a school bus rammed into it in southwest Delhi. In July 2023, a school bus and an SUV collided on the Delhi Meerut Expressway, leaving six people dead. The bus was on the wrong carriageway.
Officials expressed the need for awareness drives, besides a crackdown.
Last year, Delhi Traffic Police organised road safety awareness sessions for school bus drivers to sensitise them but those efforts seem to have proved inadequate.
Traffic experts said there was a notable absence of mandated tests by authorities to ensure drivers' competence in handling such responsibilities. “During the morning rush between 6.30 am and 8 am and the afternoon hustle from 1pm-2pm, there's a palpable sense of urgency among drivers, including those transporting schoolchildren. “Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of emphasis on refresher training for the drivers. Many don't have formal education and some hold multiple licences without proper professional training,” Prince Singhal, a road safety expert, said.
Also, both establishments and institutes seem to overlook the importance of conducting such trainings, officials added. “Government regulations also appear to be lacking in requiring drivers to undergo a certain level of proficiency tests before being entrusted with the responsibility of driving commercial vehicles, especially those carrying schoolchildren. This regulatory gap, coupled with subpar road engineering, creates a potentially hazardous environment for children,” Singhal said.
School officials said that they take all necessary measures to ensure that the drivers are not rash on the road. “We also have dedicated phone numbers displayed on the body of our buses so that commuters can report violations or instances of rash driving. We also counsel our drivers at regular intervals,” an administrator in-charge of a prominent school in central Delhi said.
A representative of a school in east Delhi, who didn't wish to be named, said the institution also ensured that their drivers were well trained. Their antecedents were verified. “Background checks are an important part of our hiring/leasing process,” she said.
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