PUNE (TIP): Parents will be able to keep up with details of their child’s school bus, its driver and attendant as well as the school committee, formed under the state’s school transport policy, through a mobile application developed by Pune Regional Transport Office
(RTO).

The School Bus Safety Pune app also includes contact numbers of the bus driver in case of emergencies, the registration number of the vehicle in which the child is travelling, and details of every member of the school’s transport committee.

Through the same app, the RTO can monitor the functioning of the school bus transport committees whereas school authorities can check the validity of bus drivers’ permits and monitor complaints against them, if any.

Under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the RTO plays a vital role in governing and administrating regulations meant for the safety of school buses. With the new mobile-based application, the RTO will get a report from all active vehicles and buses transporting school children under their jurisdiction.

Pune regional transport officer, Jitendra Patil, explained, “School Bus Safety Pune allows schools to fill in the data of their respective institution, the buses operated by them and, buses contracted by schools or parents. Details of the driver, attendant, and their respective transport committees have also been incorporated in the application to help users.” With over 4,400 schools registering on the Pune RTO’s School Bus Safety website, information of almost all schools, with respect to contact details, names of the committee members and so on, is available on the app. The mobile application would also prove useful to the education department, app developer Anand Shinde claimed. “School Bus Safety Pune enables the education department to compile documents as per school bus rules. Formation of schools bus committees and their member’s details is open to all users so as to bring in transparency. It is an effective way to disseminate information, which will save time, effort and energy.”