Kathmandu, Apr. 3: The Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office issued fine to 12 school bus drivers in Kathmandu Valley for violating traffic rules and ignoring School Bus Directives.
The traffic police office issued a press statement saying that out of the 12 drivers 1 was charged for not installing guard rails on windows and the rest for violating traffic rules and also disobeying the School Bus Directives 2074.
Last year, a school boy of Samakhushi, Kathmandu died after being hit by a tree as he had pulled his head out of the bus window. Many people blamed the schoolтАЩs negligence for the death while others accused traffic police for poor checking of school buses. According to the Senior Superintendent Rajendra Prasad Bhatta, Spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, they have been more careful with checking after that incident.
The directives state that buses that carry schoolchildren must be painted yellow, and if schools have hired buses for transporting children then such buses should have stickers reading тАЬOn School DutyтАЭ pasted on the front and back. The directives also require that the windows have guard rails and bus crew while on duty should avoid alcohol and smoking.
However, in August last year, 5 school bus drivers were arrested for drink-driving. Officials said since then over 60 school drivers have been charged for drink-driving, which the GuardianтАЩs Federation Nepal and other stakeholders have been calling unforgivable crime.
