India

School bus is undoubtedly the most convenient means of student transportation. But unfortunately, there are a number of school bus safety issues faced by students travelling by school vehicles. Hence, there are a number of laws in place for ensuring safety.

The Road and Transport Authority (RTA) summarized the benefits of these laws as providing comfort, security and safety for students and parents alike. These benefits include reaching schools on time, reducing pollution emission resulting from vehicle exhausts and reducing traffic jams.

Direction of the Supreme Court of India for School Bus

• “School Bus” must be written on the back and front of the bus.
• If it is a hired bus, “On School Duty” should be clearly indicated.
• The bus must have a First-Aid box.
• The windows of the bus must be fitted with horizontal grills.
• There must be a fire extinguisher in the bus.
• The school name and telephone number must be written on the bus.
• The doors of the bus should be fitted with reliable locks.
• To keep school bags safely, there should be a space fitted under the seats.
• There must be an attendant from the school in the bus. School cabs should be fitted with speed governors with a maximum speed limit of 40 kph.
• The body of the school cab shall be highway yellow in colour, with a horizontal strip 150mm wide in the middle all around the vehicle, and the words “SCHOOL CAB” must be prominently displayed on all four sides of the vehicle.
• If the age of school children is below 12 years, the number of children carried shall not exceed 1½ times the permitted seating capacity. Children above 12 years shall be treated as one person.
• The driver of a school cab must have a valid licence to drive LMV-Transport vehicles for a period of at least four years, and must compulsorily wear a light blue shirt, light blue trousers and black shoes. Their name/ID should be displayed on the shirt.
• There must be enough space provided to keep school bags inside the vehicle, and the bags should not be hung outside on door carriers.
• The bus driver must carry a complete list of the children being ferried in the vehicle, indicating name, residential address, blood group and the points of stoppage, route plan, etc.
• In case of kindergarten children, if a person other than one authorized mutually by the school and parents comes to pick up the child from the bus, the parents should be called before releasing the child.

Latest Additions

Because of incidents that have occurred, there have been new rules made on school bus management by the concerned authorities in India to assure safety and provide relief for students and parents.

• GPS and CCTV have been made compulsory in school buses. Installation of CCTV in school premises has also been made compulsory. Footage of the CCTV must be kept for 60 days and must be handed over to the police in case of any investigation.
• School bus drivers are restricted from having interaction with students beyond a limit, and socializing with students is also limited.
• Entry to school grounds is restricted to authorized people. Any suspicious person entering the school premises will be reported without fail.
• ID cards are issued to parents, which must be brought while picking up their children. If a parent cannot come to pick up their children, an SMS must be sent authorizing another person to pick them up.

Under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, any failure on the school's part to obey these rules and regulations can lead to punishment.

More rules continue to be introduced for a better and safer travel experience for students.

Standard Requirements for School Buses in India

• All school buses in India are mandated to have an external colour of Golden Yellow. This colour shall be as per IS 5-1994 (as amended from time to time).
• For identification, a band of 150mm width in Golden Brown colour may be provided on all sides of the bus below the window level.
• Two emergency exits are mandatory on all school buses in India — one on the rear-right side of the bus, and one on the rear of the bus. Children should be trained to operate these doors.
• Whenever the bus's passenger door or one of the emergency exits is open, the bus should be incapable of motion.
• The lowest footstep height should not be more than 220mm from the ground. The bus should be incapable of motion without the steps being folded or retracted.
• All seats other than those facing the passenger step should be forward-facing. Also, a partition should be provided at the seat facing the step well.
• A stopping signal, a hazard warning, and a stop-signal arm should operate whenever the passenger door opens.
• A tamper-proof speed governor that complies with the requirements of Rule 118 of CMVR 1989 should be provided to ensure the driver doesn't exceed the speed limit.

Any parent/guardian or a teacher may also travel on the bus to help ensure these safety norms are followed.

Responsibilities of Students and Parents

Parents and students shall assume the following responsibilities:

• Parents have to deliver their children to the school bus or the assembly point at the specified time. If there is a delay on their part, parents have to deliver their children to the school themselves, without holding the driver accountable.
• The driver may return the students to the school if no one comes to collect them upon returning home, and responsibility then rests with the parents.
• Students should help maintain the cleanliness of the bus, and should notify the school management or their parents of any offences committed by the driver or by other students.
• Parents should help train and educate their children on the importance of traffic safety, and on how to wait for and ride the school bus safely.
• Parents should notify the school administration of any offence or negligence on the part of the driver.