Officials of the state transport department in Siliguri have alerted residents in and around the city to ensure the safety of their children who avail poor car services to schools.
Sources in the department said in the past month, they conducted raids across the city to check if the pool cars carrying children to schools from homes and back are adhering to rules.
“In the past month, we conducted 30 such raids to check out if the pool cars are following the rules. Altogether, around 300 pool cars are operational in Siliguri subdivision. We have found many are running in an unauthorised manner and flouting rules,” said Suparno Dey, the assistant regional transport officer of Siliguri.
According to him, to run a school pool car service, it is mandatory to follow certain safety guidelines such as proper seating arrangements without overloading students, a proper door-locking system with an emergency exit door, a fire extinguisher and an updated fitness certificate for every vehicle.
“We are doing our part. Simultaneously, parents should confirm that their child's pool car is following these guidelines. It is necessary for their child's safety,” Dey added.
Book fair
The 41st edition of the North Bengal Book Fair will start at Siliguri's Kanchenjunga Stadium Mela Ground on December 8 and be formally inaugurated on December 10, said Greater Siliguri Publishers & Book Sellers Welfare Association sources on Tuesday. It will last for 10 days.
