To launch drive against school buses flouting safety norms The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in the city will soon launch a drive against school buses that do not adhere to safety norms prescribed by the authority, said Sanjay Dhaygude, deputy regional transport officer. The drive will start in eight to 10 days. <table style="width: 56px; height: 42px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="56" align="right" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/jan/school-bus.jpg" border="0" /></td></tr> <tr> <td> Safety first: The RTO will conduct surprise checks on school buses for adherance to safety norms. Representation pic</td></tr></tbody></table>After the Panvel school bus mishap in Navi Mumbai in 2009, the RTO here added three new safety norms which includes having an emergency exit on the right hand side of the bus along with the one at the back end, and a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit. "The drive will start after we issue a formal announcement of the campaign. We will explain in detail the various safety norms to be followed by the school buses and the kind of action that will be taken if found violating the same. The next step will involve conducting surprise checks on several school buses in the city and taking appropriate action which will range from penalising to canceling of permits, depending upon the gravity of the violation," Dhaygude said. There are more than 1,000 school buses in the Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation limits. According to norms, an emergency door of at least 1,200 mm in height and 540 mm in width with handles both inside and outside is a must at the rear end. There should not be any seats near the door. Buses should also be equipped with a fire extinguisher, first-aid kit and have window grills. Attendants should maintain a logbook containing the names of the students along with the contact numbers of their parents or guardians. The vehicles should have the words 'school bus' painted in yellow on all sides. The buses should also have retro-reflective panels. Pune Bus Owners' Association president Baba Shinde said they were still awaiting an government resolution that would officially prescribe the above norms.

To launch drive against school buses flouting safety norms

RTO to get tough with school buses

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RTO to get tough with school buses

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