19 January 2012 12:32 pm
The condition of the four students who were injured when the school van they were travelling in crashed into a bus in Mount Lavinia on Wednesday had improved and they are in a stable condition according to hospital authorities.
They are currently receiving treatment at the Colombo South General Hospital in Kalubowila. The 21 year old van driver who drove the van at a speed exceeding 80 kilometres per hour was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday evening and was remanded till January 30 after being produced before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate.
Nine school children were injured due to the accident which took place at 7.00am. Five of them were discharged on the same day after sustaining minor injuries. Currently two girls and two boys are receiving treatment at the Colombo South General Hospital.
Police media spokesman Ajith Rohana said that the police are taking steps to inform the courts to suspend the drivers license for his entire life time. He also said that the police will take steps to monitor the condition of vehicles which are engaged in transporting school children and check the road worthiness of these vehicles on a regular basis.
The accident brought the attention of the authorities in the transport sector and also the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) on the need to introduce regulations to deal with such errant drivers and for vehicles which are not suitable for transporting students.
Last year alone 224 children, mainly school children between the ages of one and 19 were killed due to accidents. (Supun Dias)