‘Ensure regulation of school vans for students’ safety in Srinagar’

Srinagar, Mar 14: Amid huge traffic influx in the summer capital, parents of school-going children have demanded measures to regulate school vans to ensure the safety of on-board students.

The parents of school-going children have sought the intervention of the Traffic police and urged them to take all measures to ensure that school vans operating in Srinagar and other areas do not overspeed or overload.

To mention, on Friday, a school van was involved in an accident in Pulwama district after it collided with another vehicle. According to witnesses, the school children had a narrow escape in the incident.

“I am a parent, and such incidents should serve as an eye-opener for everyone. We have seen how students died in an accident last year at Tengpora, which shook the whole valley. The drivers of school vans must ensure the safety of our children,” said Firdous Ahmad, a parent.

“Schools, Traffic police, and people share responsibility for ensuring the safety of school-going kids. School vehicles, especially vans, should be kept in check to prevent overspeeding and overloading,” they said.

“We have seen overloading in school vans for years now. This also risks the lives of children. In addition to that, commuters should also take due care while driving amid the rush of school children in vehicles and on foot. We as a society have to take this matter seriously, and everyone should play a role in awareness,” said another parent.

The parents also urged authorities to ensure the installation of sign boards around school premises so that commuters can remain alert while driving around educational institutes and speeding should be kept in check as well. They said in Srinagar city and other main towns there is a huge rush of school vehicles and the regulation should be ensured accordingly.

SSP Traffic Srinagar Muzaffar Ahmad Shah said that since the opening of schools they are focused on the regulation of school vehicles to ensure safety.

“We are coordinating with drivers and schools to ensure that the safety of young students is prioritised. From tomorrow, we will double the efforts and increase drives to tackle overspeeding, overloading, and other issues in school vehicles. We will put all our efforts into making every stakeholder aware of the overall safety of our children,” he said.