On Monday, the Transport Department established the permit conditions for school buses and transportation services contracted by schools in accordance with AIS-063.
According to the official communication from Syed Shahnawaz Bukhari, the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) of Kashmir, the permit conditions have been issued, incorporating the safety guidelines mandated by the Supreme Court for school transportation.
The issuance of permit conditions coincides with the resumption of classes across Kashmir following a three-month-long winter break. According to the guidelines, all seats in school buses, except those facing the passenger step well, must be forward-facing. Additionally, a partition should be installed for seats facing the step well.As per the official communication, if the age of school children is under 12 years, the number of children transported should not surpass 1.5 times the permitted seating capacity. Children aged 12 years and above should be considered as one person.
The issuance of guidelines comes in response to complaints received from various sources regarding overcrowding of school children in vans and other cabs operated by private school cab owners.
“The school bus should possess updated documents such as vehicle permit, fitness certificate, insurance certificate, valid token tax receipt, PUCC, SLD certificate, driving license, and GPS certificate,” the statement reads. The RTO has also stipulated that the driver must have a minimum of five years’ experience driving heavy vehicles and must carry a complete list of children along with a copy of the agreement with the school. “A driver who is fined more than twice a year for red light jumping, lane discipline violation, or allowing unauthorized persons to drive should not be employed,” the official communication states. “Additionally, a driver fined even once for overspeeding, drunken or dangerous driving should not be hired.”
The Transport Department mandates that the school bus must be painted yellow, with ‘SCHOOL BUS’ clearly written on both the back and front of the vehicle. “The school’s name and telephone number should also be displayed, and if hired, ‘On School Duty’ must be indicated.” According to the permit conditions set by the RTO, the doors should be equipped with secure locks, and the windows should have horizontal grills. “The bus must be equipped with a speed governor meeting specified standards, with a maximum speed limit of 40 kmph, and there should be sufficient space under the seats for storing school bags safely,” the communication states. School bags should not be hung outside the vehicle or placed on roof carriers, and each school bus must have a qualified attendant to assist children on the bus, especially during boarding and disembarking.
“In the case of kindergarteners, if an authorized person does not pick up the child from the designated halting points, the child should be returned to school, and their parents should be contacted,” it continues. Schools have been instructed to prominently display the name and contact information of the transport manager responsible for ensuring the safe transportation of school children inside and outside the bus. “School authorities are advised against using any transportation service that does not possess a valid permit or fails to meet the required permit conditions,” the official communication emphasizes. “Any violations of these conditions will result in strict action against the offenders.”
A copy of the communication has been distributed to all Chairman Regional Transport Authorities (Deputy Commissioners) for information and to all Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) with the request to disseminate it among all empowered officers under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, read in conjunction with the J&K Motor Vehicles Rules, 1991 as amended in 2019. The Director of School Education Kashmir has been urged to circulate the communication among all government and recognized private schools under their jurisdiction.
