HOW TO ORGANIZE SAFE SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION?

School buses are becoming increasingly popular.

In major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, to meet the growing needs of parents, school transportation services are becoming increasingly popular. There are generally two types of transportation: subsidized buses and contracted vehicles provided by schools through agreements with transportation companies.

In particular, even parents have no idea what the standards are for these vehicles or how they operate.

The units providing school transportation services are usually contract vehicles, which, in addition to having inspection stamps ensuring technical safety and environmental protection, must also meet the criteria of each school.

"For example, any vehicle transporting students to school will be inspected to see if it meets the teachers' expectations, whether the vehicle is new, has curtains, and has signage. That is, according to the criteria of each school."

Schools are unable to distinguish which vehicles meet quality standards, relying primarily on inspection stickers. Because the users are students, who are young and vulnerable compared to regular passengers, using vehicles that have exceeded their service life poses a high risk of traffic accidents.

For contracted transportation services, meaning vehicles that operate on a per-trip basis, some drivers, relying on the fact that they are transporting students, tend to speed, overtake recklessly, encroach on other lanes, and even frequently run yellow lights. This not only compromises safety but also negatively impacts the students' awareness.

Citing the experience of organizing school bus services in the US, some argue that school buses are painted a distinctive yellow, and when these vehicles stop, all other vehicles must stop and wait for the students to disembark and reach the sidewalk before continuing. Furthermore, school buses have specific pick-up and drop-off points, similar to a public bus. Therefore, some believe that managing this type of service in the same way as public buses could be more effective.

School buses: It's time for standardization.

Students are a vulnerable group when it comes to traffic. However, there are currently no specific standards for this type of vehicle. Parking regulations are also not followed in any particular way. Therefore, some argue that stricter regulations for this type of vehicle need to be considered and implemented.

However, currently, student transportation services are completely unregulated, with each school operating independently and lacking any standards regarding pricing, quality, or transportation infrastructure.

What are the consequences of a lack of standards in school transportation services?

First and foremost, there is a safety risk for children because, without mandatory standards, school buses are no different from regular contract transport vehicles, while students are a vulnerable group when participating in traffic.

The consequences for management are also unavoidable when school buses are not easily identified with specific designs that would prioritize their traffic flow without causing chaos or abuse.

Given the significant demand, as a large number of vehicles operating on fixed routes and with regular traffic flow, school buses need to be standardized to apply specific, appropriate regulations.

This needs to be done soon, not only to ensure the safety of children, but also to control traffic demand and facilitate the development of appropriate traffic plans.

Hai Anh - Compiled and edited.