Safer school buses

With schools in Bombay having made it compulsory for children to use school buses, and bus operators hiking their fees up to 40 percent, many institutions have invested in their own vehicles. VIBGYOR High in Goregaon, the first of a multi-city chain of educational institutions set up in 2004 by founder chairman Rustom Kerawalla, as mentioned on its website, has ordered a fleet of 21 vehicles with the latest technology including GPS (global positioning system). Daily News and Analysis (DNA), which spoke to the school’s front office manager Mahrukh Mehta, was informed that the added features will enable parents and the school to keep an eye on every movement made by the bus, the newspaper reported on May 20, 2011.

Schools are buying their own fleets of buses

Photo: Jasmine D. Driver

Parents will be automatically alerted via SMS (short messaging service) each time their child boards or alights from the bus. If the school bus exceeds the speed limit, diverts from the set route or stops suddenly, the school is immediately alerted. Though the new system comes at a price, parents are willing to pay the additional amount as they will be reassured about their children’s safety. "One cannot be too careful about one’s children’s safety. Especially since the new school bus policy holds the principals directly responsible for the school bus, we have taken these safety measures,” Mehta informed DNA.