Further, the buses owned by the schools must be painted

in golden-yellow colour. The buses have to be equipped with convex cross-view mirrors which allow the driver to see the exit and entry doors. The buses must be equipped with a first-aid box, fire extinguisher and must have provision for bag racks. Last year, the government had asked each school to appoint a school bus in-charge for overseeing the bus operation and ensure that children reach their destinations safely. The government had also asked the schools to appoint a conductor with a valid license by September 30 last year for all the buses in addition to the attendant. But the order was hardly implemented by the schools. The Supreme Court had set specific guidelines for plying of school buses which included fitting of horizontal grills on windows of the vehicles. As per the guidelines, all such vehicles must have a first-aid box and the doors of the bus should be fitted with reliable locks. There must be an attendant from the school in the bus. The speed of the vehicles has already been fixed at 40 km per hour and a driver in violation of the speed limit will first be issued notices while a second time offence would attract cancellation of the driving licence.