Seven months after state's transport department brought a new school bus safety policy into effect, it has released an illustrated booklet providing information on the same

Clearing the fog of confusion surrounding the new school bus safety norms stipulated by it from June last year, the state's transport department has finally released a booklet which elucidates it's policy with respect to school bus safety.


A clear picture: The booklet not only outlines the revised bus safety
norms, but also illustrates the guidelines with the help of cartoons, so as
to make them accessible to parents, schoolkids, and school administrators.

The booklet not only outlines the bus safety norms, but also illustrates the guidelines with the help of cartoons.

Delayed release
The new guidelines came into effect from June last year, which marked the beginning of the present academic session. Ever since, school authorities had been finding it difficult to follow the state's diktat, many claiming that the guidelines were confusing and not accessible to them ('School buses stuck between rods and grills' November 29, 2011, MiD DAY).

The booklet answers all the questions that school administrators may have about issues related to school bus safety.

However, the booklet has been released four months after the announced date. Explaining the delay, sources in the Regional Transport Office (RTO) said that that they had to wait till they received necessary feedback about the policy from the education department.

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An e-version of the book has also been uploaded on the transport department's website. Dr SK Sharma, principal secretary (transport) said that it is mandatory for all schools to acquire a copy of the booklet.

However, authorities of many schools across the state say they have failed to receive the copy. Yogesh Patel, founder and trustee of the Swami Vivekananda International School in Borivli, which operates 50 school buses, said, "We haven't received any booklet with illustrations on road safety from the RTO. Last year we ran into losses because of the confusion about bus safety norms. At first, we were asked to place grills on school bus windows, for which we spent Rs 15 lakh. But later, we were asked to remove them."

Administrators of the GD Somani School at Cuffe Parade, said that they too are yet to receive the booklet.