Haryana Rights Commission demands report on transport of school children

On April 30, five people, including three school children, were killed in a road mishap in Charkhi Dadri. The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC), taking a suo motu cognizance of the recent road mishaps, has asked the state school education department for a detailed report on the safety of school children, especially on their travel arrangements.

The commission directed the director of primary school education to submit a detailed report on the matter.

Referring to the April 30 road mishap, HHRC chairperson justice (retd) SK Mittal and HHRC member justice (retd) KC Puri said that the bus was on its way to drop children to their homes and the driver was untrained.

The HHRC, citing media reports, also said 27 per cent of government schools in Haryana require repairs and there was shortage of toilets and potable drinking water in schools.

On January 24 this year, the bus of GD Goenka World School was stoned by people protesting against the release of movie Padmaavat. It had 23 students and five teachers, apart from staff members. A Haryana Roadways bus with 35 passengers, which was around 200 m away, was set on fire.

On January 30, 2017, a school bus carrying 35 students and four staff members of a private school caught fire near HUDA City Centre Metro station. The children were thankfully rescued in time.

A seven-year-old student of Ryan International School died in May 2016 after she was hit by a car while crossing the road as her school bus had dropped her on the wrong side.

On September 15, 2016, five schoolchildren were injured and a truck driver was killed after a school bus on the wrong side collided with the truck on IMT Road near Bhangrola village.

Keeping all these incidents in mind, the state government, too, had earlier issued safety guidelines to be followed by schools in matters of transport vehicles.

But clearly things haven't moved much.