Surat authorities held meeting with city schools over transportation safety

SURAT,GUJARAT: In a concerted effort to ensure the safety of school children, a significant meeting was held involving over 1800 school principals from the city. The meeting, jointly organized by the Surat City Traffic Branch, the Education Department, and the Regional Transport Office (RTO), was conducted under the guidance of the Commissioner of Police. The primary focus was to enforce the Supreme Court guidelines regarding the safety measures to be followed by school buses, vans, and rickshaws.

The recent incident involving the Rajkot game zone fire that posed a severe risk to lives has heightened the alertness of the system concerning school children’s safety. Emphasis was placed on the necessity for all vehicles used for school transportation to adhere strictly to the regulations.

During the meeting, a detailed presentation was made to the school principals, emphasizing the implementation of the Supreme Court guidelines. The principals were urged to be particularly vigilant and ensure these safety measures are strictly enforced within their institutions.

A significant point of discussion was the preparation of a comprehensive checklist by the Surat City Traffic Branch, in collaboration with the Education Department and RTO. This checklist will outline the necessary safety protocols that all school transportation vehicles must follow. Each school will receive this checklist, which must be meticulously executed and signed off by the school authorities before being submitted back to the Education Department.

The meeting was attended by several high-ranking officials, including the Joint Commissioner of Police and DCP Traffic of the Surat City Traffic Branch, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of all traffic zones, District Education Officer (DEO) Bhagirathsinh Parmar, RTO officer Akash Patel, and other key officers from the Traffic Branch and RTO.

Joint Commissioner of Police, Surat City Traffic Branch, emphasized, “Ensuring the safety of our children is paramount. All school transportation vehicles must comply with the guidelines set forth by the Supreme Court. The checklist is a tool to help schools adhere to these standards.”

DEO Bhagirathsinh Parmar added, “Principals play a crucial role in this initiative. Their cooperation and diligence in implementing these safety measures will make a significant difference.”

RTO officer Akash Patel stressed, “Regular inspections and adherence to the checklist will be enforced to maintain the highest standards of safety in school transportation.”