THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Vehicles of educational institutions should have speed governors and GPS while drivers must wear uniform and carry identity cards from the start of the next academic year as per the guidelines issued by the Motor Vehicles Department on Tuesday.
The drivers should have at least 10 years’ experience including five years in handling heavy vehicles, according to the guidelines. They should wear white shirt and black trousers. Employers must ensure the drivers do not have a history of drunken driving, speeding or substance abuse.
“The driver of a school bus must follow a model driving behaviour as children tend to get influenced by them,” said Transport Minister Antony Raju. The number of attenders should be equal to the number of doors on the vehicle to ensure safe boarding and deboarding of children.
No standing passenger should be allowed. The crew will have to keep a record of the number of children and produce it at the time of inspection. Vehicles should display ‘educational institution’ on their front and rear while private vehicles that transport schoolchildren must carry the display board ‘On School Duty’. The vehicles should maintain a maximum speed limit of 30 kmph in the school zone.
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