School van turns turtle in Telco, narrow escape for 12 students

Jamshedpur : A school van carrying nearly 12 students overturned at Telco today. According to eye witnesses, the school van was crammed with nearly 12 students all from Telco-based ShikshaNiketan school and was being driven at a great speed and while taking the sharp turn at Kharangajhar Market Main Road lost control and the van overturned.

Telco police station officer-in-charge, Jayant Tirkey,said that no parents have so far lodged a complaint so far at the police station but the police have seized the van and are searching for the vehicle.

The driver of the van fled from the spot after locals started beating him up. The police team and the locals managed to bring back the van in position and immediately rushed two children who had sustained injuries in their hands to the Tata Motors Hospital.

East Singhbhum district transport officer (DTO) Ravi RanjanVikram assured of initiating a drive along with traffic police against overloaded school van/auto-rickshaws and those vehicle running on gas cylinders.

Many auto rickshaws plying on the city�s busy thoroughfares could be seen carrying students more than the permitted capacity. In several instances, the number of minors seated inside the three-wheelers exceeds nine or 10. �Authorities open their eyes only after an accident.

So parents must ensure that the auto drivers they hire follow the rules. They must see that the private autos have a side door and other safety measures. Though it may be fun for the children and may seem cheaper for parents, overcrowding children in autos is dangerous,” said Dr Umesh Kumar, president of Jamshedpur Parent�s Association.
�Overloading is the most common violation by these vehicles.

A majority of these vehicles are private vehicles carrying out a commercial activity. We have expressed concern and conveyed the same to many schools in the city but with little response, said a senior traffic police officer under the condition of anonymity.

He said that the Department is planning to conduct a special drive against overloading in autorickshaws and vans. Overloading is a crucial issue since it involves the safety of the children. School children are ferried to and fro in autorickshaws in the city everyday.