Hyderabad: Traffic police in Hyderabad carried out a special operation to spot drunk driving among school bus drivers. This took place at 34 key points in the city, like Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Panjagutta, Begumpet, SR Nagar, Marredpally, Bowenpally, Trimulgherry, Mahankali, and Gopalapuram.
Officers checked 324 school buses during this drive. They found five drivers under the influence of alcohol, endangering children’s safety.
Traffic DCP Rahul Hegde BK highlighted the need for school management to follow guidelines from the Supreme Court of India, outlined in WP (Civil) 1309 of 1985. These rules cover transporting students between home and school.
Vehicles must have a valid Passenger Transport Vehicle permit. “On School Duty” should be displayed on all school buses. Buses cannot exceed their seating capacity, and no child should sit on another’s lap. First-aid kits and drinking water must be available. Seat belts, if provided, need to be used correctly. School buses should display the school’s name and phone number.
Drivers must have at least five years of experience and a clean traffic record. When a bus is hired for school use, the owner must inform local police with details of the driver and vehicle.
Each school bus should have an attendant to ensure children’s safety during boarding and exiting. Schools must ensure drivers follow all traffic rules and guidelines.
Venugopal Reddy, Addl. DCP Traffic-I, Hari Prasad, ACP Traffic, West Zone, and Shankar Raju, ACP Traffic North Zone, were also in attendance.
