RAWALPINDI: In order to ensure security of students utilising pick-and-drop vans, the City Traffic Police (CTP) has launched a safety awareness week, urging parents and school administrations to make sure the vehicles comply with the safety standards and have first aid and fire extinguisher kits.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Beenish Fatima said on Friday that as schools and colleges had reopened after the summer vacation, measures were being taken for the safety of children traveling in school vans.

She said the CTP had launched a campaign and would celebrate the coming week as the school vans safety awareness week.

In this regard, the school administrations and parents should arrange for their children pick-and-drop vehicles that are safe in all respects: must be in good condition, meet all safety standards and are registered with the relevant departments.

She said it was very important for school van drivers to have a character certificate, valid driving licence and vehicle fitness certificate.

The CTO directed the in-charge education wing of the traffic police to organise awareness lectures in schools and colleges about the safety campaign.

An awareness drive about school vans safety has already been started by the traffic police through social media.

The CTO asked the managements of schools and colleges to keep a complete record of the vans and their drivers.

The drivers should stick the copies of their documents on the windscreens of their vehicles and should not use dark glasses and curtains on the windows.

Drivers must keep fire extinguishers and first aid kits in their vehicles for use in case of any emergency.

The school administrations should deploy its staff in the parking areas of the institutes besides installing CCTV cameras for monitoring.

The CTO said children were the future of the nation whose protection was our collective responsibility.

It may be mentioned that majority of school vans are unfit, lack safety standards, fire extinguishers and first aid kits. Overloading of children is common in the school vans. The authorities concerned hardly check fitness of the vehicles and the traffic police had ever taken notice of all the traffic rules violations.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2024