No child's life at risk ever again

GLS boss’ tripartite deal to ensure kids’ safety ready for implementation
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, January 09, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : Cover Story : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Cover%20Story&sectid=2&contentid=2009010920090109032049496aa15cd22)

GLS executive vice-president and eminent lawyer Sudhir Nanavati with the draft agreement at his office on ThursdayFor school children’s safety, January 17 will be a red letter day. The much-awaited tripartite agreement that will bind van owners, parents and schools to ensure children’s safety on school vehicles has been drafted and will be introduced in the Gujarat Law Society (GLS)-governed institutes on January 17.

A parents-school managements-vehicle owners’ meeting will take place on the campuses of GLS-managed CU Shah Primary School, N R Primary School, GLS Primary School and K N Primary School, in which the agreement, drafted by the group’s executive vice-president, Sudhir Nanavati, will be explained, debated and implemented.Ahmedabad Mirror was the first to report Nanavati’s plan to introduce a tripartite agreement to make sure school vans adhere to guidelines set by the Gujarat High Court in 2006 (GLS vows safe vans for kids, December 9). According to the agreement, a copy of which is in Ahmedabad Mirror’s possession, the arrangement, named ‘Comfortable transport facility for school children’ or simply ‘Transport facility’, will be signed by the concerned school’s official, vehicle owners and students’ parents on a non-judicial stamp paper of Rs 10.
The agreement to be signed by school managements, van owners and parents will ensure that our children’s safety is not compromised for a few extra quidsThe agreement says a school van cannot have on board more than 14 students plus the driver. Under no circumstances should the vehicle doors be kept open while in motion.

There should be comfortable seating arrangement, separate space to accommodate bags, and safety locks and grills should be in place along with a first-aid kit box.Under the agreement, there are 11 main guidelines set aside for the vehicle owners. If they flout the bond, the school authorities have the power to declare that particular vehicle or/and its minders not fit to run the transport facility for school children.And hitting where it hurts the most, school managements also have the option of blacklisting the offenders across institutes in the city.
The dos and don’ts for school vehicle owners/drivers in Nanavati’s tripartite agreement include:

• A vehicle shall accommodate no more than 14 kids plus the driver.

• The vehicle shall not exceed 20 kmph. Under no circumstances shall the vehicle doors be kept open while in motion.

• Comfortable seating arrangement, separate space to accommodate bags, safety locks and grills and a first-aid kit box mandatory inside the vans.

• Complete details and contact numbers of vehicle owners and drivers should be given to school management and parents of those students using their vans.

• Any school vehicle driver should be holding a light vehicle license at least for the past five years. The license copy should be made available to the school management.

• Drivers will have to give in writing that they will not smoke or chew tobacco while on school duty.

• The school will provide drivers uniforms, which they have to wear while on school duty.

• Under no circumstances will the vehicles jump traffic signals, and drivers will halt at places from where children can safely be escorted into the school or their housing colonies.

• As soon as the last child in the vehicle is dropped off home, it will be the driver’s responsibility to call up school authorities, notifying the same.

• Every van must display the name of the school whose children are using the vehicle.

The agreement directs parents to negotiate the use of a school van for their children in consultation with the school principal. The main guidelines set aside for the parents include :

• Payment for school vehicles should be decided on a yearly basis but the same should be made in four equal installments.

• Parents should not keep the vehicle waiting, and someone should be at home to receive the children once they are dropped back home.

• Parents must insist on a receipt from the vehicle owners/drivers after they make the payment.

On its part, the school management will be required to provide van drivers with a mobile phone. School management will also appoint automobile experts who will check the vehicles’ condition at regular intervals.

Nanavati told Ahmedabad Mirror, “A lot of care has gone into putting in place the agreement’s draft. I used all my legal experience to ensure the agreement is water-tight in terms of children’s safety. And we will be more than happy to provide the copies to managements of other schools if they wish to join this movement.”Schools across the city and also the van owners have already pledged their support to the concept (Our kids’ safety is our duty, AM, December 10 and Van owners’ nod to GLS safety measures, AM, December 13).