PULWAMA NOVEMBER 15: The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD), Pulwama, organized a comprehensive daylong sensitization and training program aimed at enhancing student transit safety, targeting school bus drivers and transport incharges from across the district. The workshop witnessed active participation from over 200 school bus drivers along with Motor Transport Officers representing 150 private educational institutions.
The daylong initiative was structured into four dedicated technical sessions designed to address crucial aspects of student transportation. The opening session focused on behavioral conduct and road safety, underscoring the vital importance of defensive driving techniques, pedestrian etiquette, patience, and professional conduct when ferrying young students. This was followed by a practical session on winter road preparedness and safe driving, which outlined essential precautionary measures, vehicle maintenance, braking protocols, and safe navigation techniques during challenging winter conditions such as dense fog, frost, and slippery road surfaces.
The subsequent segments laid heavy emphasis on statutory safety frameworks and legal compliance. Officials conducted a thorough walkthrough of the mandatory safety guidelines prescribed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India for school transport fleets, reiterating the necessity of vehicle fitness certificates, valid permits, operational speed limiters, emergency exits, and first-aid provisions. Concluding the training modules, the final session covered the Motor Vehicles Act, educating participants on various traffic offences, strict adherence to permit norms, zero-tolerance policies toward overloading or rash driving, and the legal repercussions, including severe monetary penalties and driving license suspension.
Throughout the interactive proceedings, transport authorities urged school management to maintain continuous oversight of their transport operations and adhere strictly to established safety standards. The program provided an open platform for drivers and transport coordinators to address practical concerns regarding route permits, regular vehicle health inspections, and mandatory documentation, culminating in a collective commitment by all stakeholders to prioritize student safety above all else.
Resource persons including MVI Rahil Anjum, MVI Ashutosh Raina, SMVI Adil Bashir and AMVI Irfan Ahmad conducted the sessions. Senior Assistant Abdul Rashid, MVTA Pankaj Bhat, MTS Suhail Ahmad Dar and other officials of MVD Pulwama were present on the occasion.
