[Image]There is no doubt that school transport is a necessity, it is also a fact that this mode of transport needs refining to make it more comfortable and safer for the children.According to the World Health Organization, globally, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults between 5-29 years.This calls for implementation of greater safety measures. Parents, teachers, caregivers, motor companies and policymakers have a stake in the welfare of children, and their input can contribute to making school transport safer - commuting to school need not be a cause for fear for children and their parents.RELATEDPRIME JM Baraza: Your salary is not enough to run a Range Rover Vogue DN2 2 hours agoPRIME JM Baraza: Long-running love affairDN2 2 hours agoSchool transport also need not be an agonising experience for children, yet in most cases, it is. Most schools lack sufficient modes of transport, resulting in overloading, and unnecessary long trips to and fro school. The result is that children are forced to get up in the wee hours of the morning to catch the school bus, and end up getting back home late in the evening, yet must still do their homework. To deliver all the children to school in time for the first lesson, drivers take a long single trip that keeps the children who boarded first for even up to two hours on the road. Obviously, the school transport system is not a well-oiled machine. Almost every school grapples with transport challenges that compromise the safety and health of children.[Image]A school bus.ShutterstockThe question then begs, what can schools do to ensure that the children entrusted in their care are safe and spend as little time as possible on the road? Could schools, for instance, consider expanding their fleet? As for parents, is your home too far from the school that your child attends such that they dread the daily commute?What of the drivers’ professionalism? Are school bus/van drivers well trained? How good is their understanding of road safety protocols? How is their driving? And with the Covid-19 pandemic in mind, are there stewards that ensure hygiene aboard the bus? What of seat belts? Is there one for every child on board?Motor companies, too, have a role to play here, they could, for instance, make it affordable for all schools to own transport by extending special rates or allowing hire purchase terms.Some are already doing that, such that institutions of learning can get financing of up to 95 percent, thanks to partnerships between motor companies and banks. Some motor firms even allow schools to pay for the vehicles after schools reopen and they receive school fees from learners.Obviously, the school transport experience can be improved, and should be improved, after all, it is an extension of the classroom. The safety that children enjoy in the classroom should be extended to the journey to and from school, and for this to happen, all stakeholders should play their part. BY DAILY NATION
posted by Breaking Kenya news at 11:14 on 9 Feb 2022
"How safe and efficient is your school transport?"
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