Udupi Dist Police instruct Auto, Taxi Drivers to Follow SC guidelines when carrying Children in vehicles
Udupi: The Udupi district police have strictly advised taxi and auto drivers to follow guidelines of the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the safety of school children while carrying them in their vehicles.
Addressing the Auto drivers meeting at the Circuit House on June 25 Udupi CPI Manjunath said that the safety of school children as per the guidelines should be strictly followed while ferrying them in vehicles. Most of the prominent educational institutions in the city have their own school vehicles. But not all children can afford to travel by the school vehicle. Many children travel by hired private taxi or auto rickshaws.
“It is the obligation of the school management and parents to strictly follow the Supreme Court guidelines to ensure the safety of the school children. Speed governors should be installed in such vehicles. School vehicles should also have fire extinguishers and parallel bars fitted to the windows. The vehicles should have the phone numbers of the school head teachers and there should be enough space to keep the bags,” explained the police officer.
The body of the school cab should be painted yellow with a horizontal strip of 150mm width in green colour in the middle all around the vehicle and the words ‘SCHOOL VEHICLE ’ must be prominently displayed on all four sides of the vehicle.
The Car and Auto drivers must carry a complete list of the children being ferried in their vehicles, indicating the name, class, residential address, blood group and the points of stoppage, route plan, etc. The department will give one week time to make the necessary arrangements. After one week regular checks will be conducted and the erring drivers will be fined, he added.
Presiding the meeting Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat appealed the auto and taxi drivers to follow the department’s instructions while carrying school children in their vehicles.
Malpe PSI Madhu and Udupi Traffic Police were also present for the meeting.