KARACHI: High-risk school vans need urgent attention
By S. Raza Hassan
KARACHI, April 4: Accidents, mishaps and breakdowns involving school vans have long been a routine in this metropolis. The relevant authorities’ failure in the effective implementation of vehicle fitness rules is the only cause.
Only a few scores of school vans, particularly Suzuki pick-ups, of the whole fleet of hundreds of them, can genuinely be described as risk-free means to ferry children between their homes and schools.
Parents are left with no choice but to compromise on the obsolete, rickety and high-risk vehicles which can never pass a fitness test if conducted fairly.
The rattle sound of these vehicles sets off soon after sunrise. For many of the parents, whose children are made to travel in awfully damaged school vans, the sound is like a call for conscription. They helplessly see off their children while they board a vehicle that never guarantees safety and security of its passengers. They must be thanking Almighty Allah upon seeing their children returning home safe and sound. And more painfully, their ordeal is a daily routine.
Statistics show that of late old rickety school vans are mainly involved in many traffic accidents, some of them fatal. The victims, obviously, appeared children.
The van operators claim an exorbitantly high amount as transport charges, though they spend a little on the maintenance of their vehicle. Most often they are grilled by traffic police personnel for the very reason, the motive is not forcing the operators to improve the physical and mechanical condition of the vehicle. In most cases, the motive appeared extortion.
It is not difficult to assess the risk facing the children while they are going to travel in a decades-old model of Suzuki pick-up turned into a school van having wornout tyres, unreliable engine and breaks and heavily damaged or extensively repaired passenger compartment.
Absence of backview or side-view mirrors, faulty indicators, horn and headlights, improperly working steering as well as all other invisible faults are taken for granted. However, absence of passenger compartment’s door and ignoring normal safety rules are in vogue.
To prevent anyone falling from the vehicle, an iron sliding grill is installed by the van operator. Such a grill proves more dangerous than an hollow opening in case the vehicle meets with an accident because the grill hinders an easy escape of people in trouble, obviously panicked, through the only and vital exit.
There is another factor contributing to the unsafe ferrying of students. The tradition of a ‘helper’ to assist the children climb into the van and step down has now done away with by most of the operators. The drivers, always in a hurry to meet the deadline of schools, demonstrate a high degree of negligence in ensuring that the student just picked up has properly taken his seat. They jump start the van causing jerks that often cause trouble to the children.
Many parents indulge in altercations with the van operators on the latter’s practice of dropping their child/children away from their house/ school or on the other side of adjacent road and thus creating unnecessary trouble for the students.
Earlier this year, a young student of a private school was knocked down by a truck while the victim was crossing the road near his school in Gulshan-i-Iqbal. In a similar accident, a young student died when he was hit by a school van in Kharadar earlier this year.
Negligence by the van operators seldom come to light because in most cases, the matter is not reported to police unless there is any fatality in such accidents.
Private schools receive complaints from the parents in this regard and some of the schools have now started seeking comments from parents as well as the students on the van operators’ attitude, efficiency, performance, etc. on regular basis. For the purpose, the school administrations issue advisories and take appropriate action where necessary. This policy must be adopted by all the schools in order to keep a proper check on this issue which involves precious lives of children.
It is also important for parents to keep with themselves complete personal information about the van driver and contractor. They must be accessible during the time the children are on way to school or home.
At the time of indulging in a contract with the van operators, the parents must make it sure that the van being offered is fit in all respects; it has capacity to accommodate their child/children; driver is well-mannered, proficient and punctual; the van has a helper; and the driver keeps a telephone/mobile phone for contact in emergencies.
The traffic police should also realize their responsibilities. No van operator/driver should go scot-free if he is found operating an unfit vehicle, carrying students beyond its capacity, driving recklessly or violating other traffic rules.
The competent authorities should ensure implementation of existing traffic rules besides introducing tougher rules and regulations with regard to the school transport.
