Committee floats proposal for monitoring buses, vans ferrying

In the backdrop of recent incidents of crime on school campuses, a high-level committee of the Delhi government has floated a proposal to ensure that institutes monitor buses and vans ferrying students, a senior government official said.
The proposal is likely to be made part of the Delhi School Cab Rules, 2017, which is expected to come into effect by the end of this year, he said.
"The rules to be framed by the Transport Department through amendments in the School Cab Policy, 2007, will address issues like maximum seating capacity, verification of staff, besides ensuring responsibility of school administrations towards safety of children," the official said.

The committee was formed amid increased concern over safety of students after the alleged rape of a five-year-old girl at her school in Shahdara and the killing of a seven- year-old boy in Gurugram's Ryan International.
The director of the Delhi government's Education Directorate will head the committee comprising school principals, police officials and other stakeholders.
"The committee will look into all safety aspects be it in transport or the conduct of the non-teaching staff. It will submit its recommendations within a month," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said.

Following the alleged rape of the girl, Sisodia, on September 11, had ordered schools here to install CCTV cameras covering their entire premises and complete police verification of their non-teaching staff within three weeks.

Over 10,000 private vans and buses are hired for ferrying school children in Delhi, a transport department official claimed.
He said that till July, 900 vans were impounded and close to 2,000 fined for flouting permit norms as part a drive.