NCPA to inspect school vans regularly

28 January 2012 03:23 pm

The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) yesterday said it would inspect more than 6,000 school vans to grant NCPA certification which would be given based on school van maintenance and information related to the driver and van owner.

According to new NCPA regulations a school van driver should possess a minimum of five years driving experience and should be over 25 years of age. The driver and owner of the van should get a police report from their residential area along with their National Identification Card, drivers’ license, vehicle insurance certificate and documentation related to their school van earnings.

NCPA sources it had taken steps to introduce new regulations for schools vans following a visible increase in road accidents and a rise in the number of complaints related to abuse and harassment in school vans received by the NCPA’s public complaints hotline 1929.

Sources said the certification for school van drivers which would begin in the Western province was introduced under the advice of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Meanwhile according to the police 224 school children between the ages one to 19 were killed and 4,133 were injured due to vehicle accidents in 2011. (Olindhi Jayasundere)