Parents file RTI on kids' safety norms

New Delhi: Last week in a tragic accident six school children lost their lives in a school bus accident in Sonepat near Haryana.

Payal and Jeevan Asija concerned over the safety of children in school buses have decided to file an RTI application to the Noida transport department. Their specific query is to know, what are the safety norms that school buses have to adhere to, specifically with the drivers and buses hired on a contract basis.

"Till the time my son doesn’t comes back home, I keep worrying," says Payal mother of six-year old Jai who travels by the school bus everyday.

Often, school children are left in the custody of reckless and negligent school bus conductors who in any case are not responsible enough to handle 20-30 school children boarding the school bus.

"Our worries have increased all the more after listening to the accidents that are happening these days due to the negligent and rash driving by these school drivers. It is a cause of concerns for many other parents like us," she adds.

Children sticking their heads out of the bus window, or worst sitting close to an open bus door are some of the most hazardous things, which are like an accident just waiting to happen.

"These are a major concern area because the school authorities are in an open ended mode on this issue. For them it is their business model but we are risking our kid’s lives here," says Jeevan Asija, Jai's father.

Most schools hire bus drivers on a contract basis who are not accountable to the school authorities or the parents for ensuring safety of the school children.

The concerned parent say their next RTI application would be to the education department asking them to assign a special officer who can accompany the school children on these trips.