Giving motorbikes to children: A brain-teasing decision

Amid time pressure and safety concerns, many parents face a difficult choice: give their children a motorbike to go to school or continue to struggle to pick them up and drop them off?

Da Nang traffic police handle students without a driver's license riding motorbikes to school - Photo: THANH NGUYEN

* Ms. Ha Thi Kim Sa (chairwoman of the school board and principal of Hong Ha Secondary and High School, Ho Chi Minh City):

Investing in school buses

The school’s student pick-up and drop-off service has been implemented and developed over the past 5 years, with the main goal of ensuring student safety and minimizing the use of motorbikes to school. Currently, the fleet consists of 6 vehicles with a capacity of 16 and 30 seats, operating according to a process that is publicly announced and agreed with parents.

Each bus is assigned a driver and a staff member, who will accompany a fixed group of students throughout the school year. This team is trained monthly on student transport rules and updated on new traffic safety regulations.

The working process is strictly established: the bus only departs when there are enough confirmed students, and when students get off the bus, there must be a cross-check between the driver and staff to ensure that no students are left on the bus.

The service always focuses on regular communication with parents, especially in situations of traffic jams or bad weather. On rainy days, students are dropped off at home to ensure safety.

Financially, most of the transportation fees go to pay for staff and drivers, and the school even compensates for buses with fewer students to ensure a steady income for them.

Along with the shuttle service, the school also coordinates with the traffic police to organize traffic safety propaganda sessions at the beginning of every Monday of the month.

The school applies a strict disciplinary policy: students who violate the Traffic Law will have their conduct grade downgraded, while 12th grade students will be classified as having poor conduct and may lose the right to take exams. This helps to increase students' awareness of obeying the Traffic Law.

* Mr. Nguyen Duc Dung (57 years old, driver of a school bus in Tan Binh district, Ho Chi Minh City):

Instructions for handling traffic situations on the road

To take on the role of school bus driver, we must undergo professional and thorough training.

Every year, the driver cooperative organizes a 15-day training course, equipping us with the necessary knowledge and skills on picking up and dropping off students, and traffic safety rules when transporting children. After completing the course, we are granted an official student transport driver's license.

The school also holds regular meetings every quarter to disseminate regulations, guide coordination with administrators and update new situations. During these meetings, drivers have the opportunity to share practical experiences, learn from each other to improve service quality.

As for the students, they are thoroughly trained on safety rules and riding procedures. Each vehicle is equipped with a QR code, which students must scan when getting on and off the vehicle as a form of attendance, helping to closely monitor through the school system.

In particular, at the beginning of the school year, both drivers and students are trained in how to handle emergency situations such as accidents or fires.

As a driver, I always put safety first. The car is driven at a moderate speed, never accelerating too quickly. The regulations for delivering students to their homes or directly to their parents are strictly enforced. If we cannot reach the parents, we or the homeroom teacher will contact them to confirm.

I often take the opportunity to share with students about real traffic situations, how to handle them and what to pay attention to when participating in traffic. I believe that equipping students with knowledge and practical experience will help them be more confident and safer when driving on their own in the future.

* Mr. Pham Vuong Bao (Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center):

Number of schools registering for pick-up and drop-off reduced

Ho Chi Minh City has been implementing school bus services since 2002 with various models, including subsidized buses and buses organized by schools themselves or contracted with transport units. Initially, about 300 schools participated in this program, demonstrating the great demand for transportation among students.

However, the number of students using the service has gradually decreased as public buses have developed widely with attractive incentive policies such as free fares for primary school students and fares of only VND3,000/trip for students of other levels.

Many parents also choose to pick up and drop off their children themselves or use on-demand transportation services to suit their specific needs.

Every year, through the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, the center collects information on students' transportation needs and coordinates with transportation units to meet them.

Shuttle buses must strictly comply with vehicle quality and service standards, and drivers and staff must comply with the Traffic Law and monitor the number of students - this regulation has been formalized in the Traffic Order and Safety Law.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giao-xe-may-cho-tre-quyet-dinh-can-nao-20241109221213563.htm