How many school buses follow these guidelines?

Officials of the transport department are conducting checks of school buses on safety aspects. CE has compiled the mandatory list of safety guidelines in school buses

CHENNAI: With schools reopening in the city, the officials of the transport department are conducting checks of school buses on safety aspects. CE has compiled the mandatory list of safety guidelines in school buses

Type of Body

Every school bus shall be  of semi-saloon type with  steel body

Windows

Every school bus will have windows on either sides of size not less than 55cm x 70cm

Window grill

Three horizontal steel bars shall be fixed outside the bus along the windows in such a way that the distance between adjoining bars does not exceed 5cm

Seats

All seats shall be firmly fixed to the floor board by bolts or studs and nuts and fastened by some efficient device to the floor board so as to prevent them turning loose

Floor Board

In every school bus, the floor boards shall be so fitted as to exclude as far as possible draughts and dust. If any part of the floor board caves in or weakens, no patch work shall be done. Instead, the entire length and breadth of that stretch of the floor board shall be replaced by the new floor board

Bag racks

Suitable grilled provision shall be made for bag racks under the seat for keeping bags and other belongings of the students

Driver’s Cabin

Grilled partition shall be provided to separate driver cabin

Speed Governor

A speed controlling device (speed governor) conforming to standards prescribed, shall be fitted so that the speed of the vehicle does not exceed 40 kilometer per hour within Corporation limits and 50 kilometer per hour in other places

First Aid Box

A first aid box is a must, as specified in sub-rule (5) of Rule 172 of the TamilNadu Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. This item must be checked and replaced periodically

Fire Extinguisher

Two fire extinguishers of ABC type having a capacity of 2kg each, bearing ISI mark shall be properly mounted

Reflective Tape

Every school bus shall have retro reflecting marking as specified in Rule 104 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989

Doors

In every school bus, the door for the entrance-cum-exit shall be well maintained to ensure safe locking and also easy unlocking

Entrance-cum-exit

There shall be one entrance-cum-exit in the front left side. Hand rails shall be fixed firmly along the steps in the front entrance-cum-exit. It shall be provided with a suitable door

Foot Board

The first step of the foot-board should be at a height not exceeding 300mm and not less than 250 mm from the ground and all steps  shall be fitted with non-slip treads. If the bus is used exclusively for carrying students with disabilities, the steps shall be suitably constructed to suit their convenience

Painting

Every School Bus shall be fully painted as per the Rule 349-A of the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989:

1. Every school bus shall be fully painted yellow
2. The inscription ‘School Bus’ shall be painted in the front and rear top of the school bus, as the case may be, in bold and clearly visible letters
3. On both exterior sides of the bus in a circle of 60 cm diameter, and on both the front and rear exterior sides, in a circle of 20 cm diameter, a prescribed diagram shall be painted, in dark blue colour with yellow back-ground
4. The particulars of name and address of the school, contact phone number, mobile phone number etc, shall be painted on the external body of the bus on the left rear side
5. The name of the school shall be written conspicuously at the top of the front and rear ends and on both sides of the body of the school bus and the writing shall be horizontal
6. In the rear right side of the bus the contact number of the transport officer in-charge of the school, local regional transport officer and police authority should be painted. A separate e-mail ID shall be created and displayed for registering the complaints