ATTENDER HELPS: School children getting out of a Maxi cab at Anna Nagar. — Photo: K_Pichumani.

Sandhya Soman and

Meera Srinivasan

CHENNAI: Eight-year-old Jaishree was run over by the van that dropped her home from school on Wednesday. It was a tragic occurrence; but one that could have been prevented.

If only... if only she had looked both sides before crossing, if only the driver had waited for her to cross or if only there had been an attender to ensure that the class III student reached her crèche safely.

The Adyar Traffic police on Wednesday arrested van driver Madhiazhagan on charges of causing death due to negligence (304(A), IPC) and for rash and negligent driving (184, Motor Vehicles Act). Police officers say the accident could have been avoided had there been an attender who could have seen the child to the crèche.

Both the Education and Transport departments are yet to come up with safety measures to check the rise in number of fatal accidents involving school children and vehicles used to transport them. "Most of the schools do not run buses. Chennai has 875 school buses for nearly 900 schools," points out a senior transport official. Maxi cabs — more than 4,000 of them — do that job.

Private operators also capitalise on the lack of buses, say school authorities. "Primary school winds up much earlier than secondary school. These students have to wait for at least an hour if they have to take the school bus. So parents turn to private operators," says Ahalya Williams, Principal, CSI Ewarts Matriculation Higher Secondary School.

The problem, according to officials and activists such as Usha Seshasayee, who heads Suraksha, is the lack of safety norms. Says Ms. Seshasayee: "Most of the private operators do not employ attenders, who can make sure the child gets off and reaches home safe."

School authorities say private vans run several trips. The result: a big hurry on part of the drivers to go for their next pick up or drop. While the Education department lays down norms for school buildings and environment in schools, there is none on operating vehicles for students.

"Though ensuring road safety is the responsibility of the government departments, M.K. Subramanian of Automobile Association of Southern India says parents have the most important role to play. "They should instruct their child when it comes to crossing the road. Or they should ensure that they are around to keep an eye on their wards getting in or getting down from the vans."

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