The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) has enforced new rules regarding the management of the public and private sector school buses.

As per the new rules, the school buses will have to enter the respective school premises by 9 in the morning after picking up students and return back by 4:30 in the afternoon after dropping them.

Currently over 1,200 school buses play on the Kathmandu Valley roads, according to the MTPD.

Giving out this information in a news conference here on Thursday, Deputy Inspector General at the MTPD, Ganesh Raj Rai, said the new rules will go a long way in managing the Valley´s vehicular traffic.

As per the new rules, schools cannot accommodate more than 1.5 students on a single seat, have to paint the buses yellow and have to hang board in yellow in the front and rear of the bus indicating the school bus.

Rai said that it has also been agreed with the management boards of the schools that they will gradually replace the old buses with new ones. He added that a publicity campaign would be launched requesting all sides to give priority to school buses on the road and to request the bodies concerned for making arrangements for the unhindered operation of school buses during the transport strikes and general strikes.

The new rule also requires that the school buses should only carry students, teachers and the related school staff, and that no outside people should be allowed to travel on them. Similarly, the bus drivers should wear the identity cards. The rules also require that arrangements should be made for providing education regarding the qualifications of the driver and the traffic rules.

Rai said the new rules have been enforced with the consent of the Higher Secondary Schools Association, the Private and Boarding Schools´ organization and association, the Guardian´s Association of Nepal and the stakeholders in the education sector.

source: republica,8 June 2012