Concern for safe school buses comes to the forefront

 

Sunday marks the end of a one-month comment period on the proposed regulations on school bus safety. China’s State Council put the draft online to solicit public suggestions in December. While the feedback gathering wraps up, concern for safe buses has come to the forefront.

The trip home is carefree and pleasant for most kids at this boarding school in west Beijing. Each name is called out and identified before departure. The students enjoy a safe vehicle, ample seating and a teacher to supervise the whole journey. The trip home is smooth.

But for the majority of students, especially those in the remote and rural areas, this remains a luxury out of reach.

In Gansu province last November, an overloaded mini van collided head-on with a coal truck, claiming the lives of 19 preschoolers and two adults;

Two days after the tragedy, another van was caught overloading in Jingdezhen City in Jiangxi province;

In less than one month’s time, another fifteen young lives were taken and many more were injured in Jiangsu province, in a over speeding school bus.

Many believed that these tragedies were by no means accidental.

A parent said, "The tragedies reveal the loopholes in China’s school bus management. The standards concerning the vehicles and the drivers’ qualification are not unified. But I hope things can change for the better when the proposed school bus safety regulations are put in place. "

The new rules lay out 59 terms, including a mandate that school buses must travel at a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour. The vehicles will be able to use bus lanes during rush hour, and drivers must have an immaculate driving record. It also stipulates that funding should be provided by central and local government revenues.

Still, many more worried about the government’s power of execution.

A parent said, "China has many laws and regulations, but the implementation is often lagging. Local governments should take responsibilities. I believe relevant officials should resign after the accidents. "

A student said, "A safe environment is dependant on the effort of every one of us: the school to stage regular safety rehearsals, the driver to drive slowly, and the other cars not to overtake the school buses when we get off.”

In the wake of the accidents, China launched a nationwide overhaul of safety checks for school buses. And the production of standard vehicles is underway. The draft allows a three-year transitional period for these new buses to be used nationwide.

But for cash-strapped schools in rural and remote regions, how to afford and maintain these buses, remains another burning question.