CCTV & Female Attendants Made Mandatory In School Buses After Student Injured In Beed Road Accident

Beed: The Beed district administration and police have issued a fresh set of safety guidelines for school transport after a schoolgirl was injured in a road accident while crossing the road after getting off her school bus.

The decision was taken at a coordination meeting held at the District Scout Guide Bhavan, where Secondary Education Officer Priyarani Patil and Additional Superintendent of Police Sameer Shaikh warned schools that student safety cannot be compromised and that strict action would be taken against those violating the new rules.

Under the new guidelines, all school buses must have CCTV cameras and female attendants. Schools have also been directed to ensure safe road-crossing arrangements for students. Drivers, attendants and other non-teaching staff must undergo character and antecedent verification. School vehicles must also comply with all Regional Transport Office (RTO) norms.

The authorities also appealed to parents to verify the credentials of private vans, buses and auto-rickshaws before using them to transport their children.

"Student safety is our collective responsibility. The police department will launch a special drive and take strict legal action against transport operators and school vehicles that violate these norms," Shaikh said.

To improve coordination during emergencies, Patil directed every school to create dedicated WhatsApp groups involving school authorities, local police and the Damini Pathak, the police's women's safety unit. She said any safety-related issue should be reported immediately through these groups to ensure a quick response. She added that regular review meetings would be held to monitor compliance with the guidelines.

The education department also announced that the 'Copy-Mukt Abhiyan' (Cheating-Free Examination Campaign) will be implemented strictly during the current academic year. Schools have been asked to hold parent-teacher meetings to encourage honesty, discipline and transparency in examinations from the beginning of the academic session.

The meeting was attended by Shivajinagar Police Station Inspector Shitalkumar Ballal, along with principals and headmasters from schools across Beed city.