Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jul 21: At the insistence of drivers of school vehicles operating in Dakshina Kannada district, deputy commissioner of the district, A B Ibrahim, convened special emergency meeting on Wednesday July 20. The drivers have been seeking relaxation in the safety norms fixed by the Supreme Court, particularly relating to the number of children per vehicle.
Drivers of certain vehicles and some parents, speaking on the occasion, said that drivers are not alone responsible for accidents. Therefore, they sought relaxation in norms like 6 children below 12 years of age in auto rickshaws, eight children in Omni etc.
Sunil Kumar Bajal, speaking on behalf of Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association, felt that suddenly enforcing safety norms is not justifiable, and sought appointment of watch committees inside the school to keep watch on safety aspects and sought time for falling line with the stipulation about limiting number of children per vehicle.
Deputy commissioner, A B Ibrahim, said that district administration is helpless in the matter as Supreme Court had issued directions over children safety several years back. He said that if any proposal about ammendment to law are submitted, he would forward the same to the government. He said that a meeting of representatives of school managements will be convened within a week to educate the concerned about regulations to be followed by school governing councils, doing away with the practice of parking vehicles bringing children on the roads, providing parking facility within the ground of compounds of schools etc.
He said that proper guidelines will be issued after holding meeting of representatives of parents and vehicle drivers and also regional transport officer, police department, traffic police, and deputy director of public instruction.
Additional deputy commissioner, Kumar, deputy director of public instruction, Walter D'Mello, assistant commissioner of police, Tilak Chandra, regional transport officer, G S Hegde, and others were present.