Delhi: Kids going to school? Fingers crossed

NEW DELHI: Sending children to school is a risky affair in the city. And the blame squarely lies on the rickety vans that pick up and drop them as not only are the children stuffed like cattle in the box-shaped vehicles, but the drivers also manoeuvre in a very rash manner, speeding most of the times so that they can make multiple trips. Though they continue to take all traffic rules for a ride, the authorities seem to turn a blind eye to them.
While there are only about 1,000 vehicles that have permits to run as school cabs, transport department officials said there are more than 25,000 vehicles in the city ferrying children.Most of the vans are registered as commercial vehicles. The school vans can be often seen with 15-17 children crammed in them. Many children are forced to sit on wooden planks fitted above the CNG cylinder.

The amended Motor Vehicles Act has provisions for strict action against speeding, overcrowding and other offences, but only a handful of school van drivers have been challaned since the new rules kicked in. Last year, around 3,000 drivers were booked for traffic rule violations, but police agree that it hardly acts as a deterrent.
Supreme Court had laid down stringent guidelines concerning school vehicles as far back as 1997, but they are rarely followed on ground. A couple of years ago, CBSE had also notified rules for school vans, but the authorities have failed to implement them. Delhi government has also mandated educational institutes to keep a check on illegal cabs, but in vain.
Police officers agreed that vehicles like Omni and Maruti Eeco are vulnerable to toppling over when overcrowded and driven rashly. “These cabs are not designed to ferry humans like cattle. A simple turn with a heavy rear can lead the vehicle to overturn,” said a police officer.
The cab operators argue that the authorisation process for running a vehicle as a school van is time consuming.
“To receive a contract carriage permit, vehicles operating as school vans are supposed to be registered with the transport department. However, most school vans in the city are private vehicles being used illegally for commercial purposes. During our recent drive, most of the vehicles we fined were either not registered or didn’t have fitness certificates,” said a transport department official.