First safety conclave for school buses held in New Delhi

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the apex body of the automobile industry, along with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and the Delhi Traffic Police, organised the First School Connect Conclave to ensure the ‘Safety of School Children in School Bus’ at the India International Centre today.

The conclave titled Aavekshan, 'Enabling Safer Future’ focussed on educating schools on the use of GPS devices in school buses to ensure safety of school children as notified by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board.

At the panel discussions held during the conclave, the participants highlighted the need for installing GPS devices and on board cameras in all school buses and called for stricter implementation to ensure safer transportation of school children.

The event saw participation from dignitaries like Neeti Sarkar, CEO & PD, NATRiP; Sutanu Behuria, former secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, government of India; Naveen Soni, president, SAFE (Society for Automotive Fitness & Environment) along with representatives from SIAM, MoRTH, government of India, Delhi Traffic Police and various schools from Delhi NCR.

Commenting on the topic of safety, Naveen Soni said, “It is of utmost importance that the automobile industry along with government and Delhi Traffic Police come together to ensure safety for school children. Our objective is to actively engage schools and thus educate the students on various aspects of safety. GPS based vehicle tracking devices are an integral part of any business. Schools specially are switching to GPS systems in order to enhance safety of children. Indian Automobile Manufacturers are bringing all the safety measure for school buses and making them user friendly. ”

Neeti Sarkar said, “Imparting training on GPS equipments to various stakeholders is paramount. While technology may not be the solution but how we use technology will reap benefits. NATRiP will be making training moduels for GPS maintenance system for the automobile technicians and will impart training at our SIlchar training centre at Assam.” 

Anubrata Choudhury, spokesperson, Indian Auto Company (IAC), said, “Safety of school children is paramount and we have launched our special school bus solution, offering peace of mind to parents and making it easier for schools to implement it easily thereby also ensuring compliance with the latest government mandate. Our MoU signing with NATRiP will enhance the skills in this area also.” 

During the technical session,  Shobhit Dixit, senior manager, Eicher Motors, spoke about importance of design and features to make school buses safer. Virendra Singh Rathore, technical consultant (Road Safety and Environment) MoRTH, GoI, gave a presentation on how the govt is working towards ensuring school bus safety.

The session also saw participation from Anil Chikara, MLO, transport department, government of NCT of Delhi, representatives from schools also presented during the session. Indian Auto Company also shared the information on GPS system in the school buses.

The event also aimed at building a consensus on the issue of school children safety while they travel from home to school and back. This initiative is also supported by various corporate houses and schools in Delhi.