Safe Transportation Policy for Students (STRAPS) meeting was held today under the Chairmanship of Sh. Vinay Pratap Singh, IAS, Secretary Transport, Chandigarh Administration at UT Secretariat, Sector 9, Chandigarh.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Shipra Bansal, Chairperson Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Right (CCPCR), Sh. Rupesh Kumar, IAS, Secretary State Transport Authority, Sh. Pradhuman Singh, HCS, Joint Secretary-cum-Director Transport, Sh. Rajan Jain, Deputy District Education officer, Ms. Niyati Mittal, DSP Traffic, representative from Independent Schools Associations, Chandigarh School Buses Operator Welfare Associations and other Stake holders and officials of Chandigarh Administration.
The meeting revolved around providing safe transportation for school children. During the meeting Sh. Vinay Pratap Singh, IAS, Secretary Transport emphasized on importance of the safety of school children during transportation to and fro school. He emphasized that the drivers should be professionally sound, attendant should wear uniform properly and every school bus and vehicle ferrying the students should have fire extinguisher & first aid kit in their vehicles. All the attendants should be given refresher training to tackle any untoward incident. He also directed the STA and Traffic Police to keep check on overcrowded school buses/auto/rickshaws from time to time and all the vehicles should have valid documentation.
He further, asked the State Transport Authority to compile the data of mode of transport of school children to schools. He further directed, the STA to share a form with the Education Department and Independent School Associations, so that vehicle details may be complied in which the school children are being transported. He also asked the Independent School Association to issue advisory to parents regarding safety of children while coming to school.
The Traffic Police informed that they have challaned 614 School Buses, 630 Auto Rickshaw, and 23 E-Rickshaw and the State Transport Authority have challaned 268 vehicles in the last one year (Aug 2023 to Aug 2024) for the violation of various offences such as not wearing proper uniform, name plates, route time table board, over speeding, overloading etc. Further, the Secretary Transport, Chandigarh Administration reiterated his direction given to the STA & Traffic Police in the previous meeting of STRAPS to conduct a special drive for curbing violations related to vehicles ferrying school children.
