Srinagar: Ahead of reopening of schools across Kashmir next week, the traffic police has issued an advisory to school authorities and transporters ferrying students.

As per the advisory, traffic police has asked the van and school bus drivers to have a valid permit to ferry students to and from the schools.

“Drivers should ferry students as per seating capacity mentioned in the registration certificate and should not alter seating arrangements of the vehicle or modify the fuel kit to a gas kit in their vehicles,” the traffic advisory reads.

The van and bus drivers have been asked not to carry school bags on the roof top of the vehicle and keep their vehicle parked in a designated parking place or inside the school premises.

“Parents are appealed to verify that the drivers ferrying their children have a valid driving license and have adequate seating capacity in the vehicle,” the traffic advisory reads.

It says that the drivers ferrying the school children should have five years of driving experience and have a ‘First-Aid box’ fitted inside the vehicle.

“Vehicles should have adequate space for keeping school bag and should be painted yellow besides they should have a fire extinguisher as well,” the advisory reads.

Interestingly, the advisory has been issued following the complaints against the van drivers and bus drivers who use gas kits in their vehicles and don’t provide proper seating arrangement to the students.

Complaints were also received that after ferrying the students to school, the drivers keep their vehicles wrongly parked on roadside instead of keeping them inside the school premises.

Earlier the traffic police had issued an advisory in November last to schools and the Van operators.

“There is need to issue the advisory to the transporters ferrying school going children to the school and home and appeal to the parents of the school going children,” it reads. 

Guest