Minivans and buses used by state schools to transport students are being fitted with tracking devices to monitor their movements, according to a spokesman for the Education Ministry.
So far, 200 of 500 vehicles have been fitted with tracking systems that allow staff at the Directorate for Educational Services, which coordinates transport, to know their whereabouts.
The remaining 300 buses or minivans were in the process of being fitted with the system in line with a condition laid down in the school transport contracts signed in September, a directorate spokesman explained. He said the directorate decided to start tracking school transport to be able to investigate complaints on delays and speeding. The system will not flag accidents as it would be difficult to determine whether a vehicle was held up in traffic or had stopped because of a collision.
Earlier this week, The Times reported the case of Laura Anderson whose six-year-old daughter, Lucy, attends a Pembroke government school. She said she was kept in the dark when her daughter was involved in two separate minivan crashes. This pushed her into setting up a Facebook group calling for better regulation. None of the accidents were serious.
Ms Anderson called for compulsory seat belts on school transport, better adult supervision and a system that ensured parents had a way of knowing when their children were involved in an accident.
The directorate spokesman said that all transport operators were contractually obliged to inform the directorate within 30 minutes of a vehicle becoming immobile. This included traffic accidents. The directorate had all the parents’ contacts for each route and would then inform them.
He said that, in the two cases involving Ms Anderson’s daughter, neither the school nor the directorate had been informed about the collisions.
Asked about compulsory seat belts, the ministry spokesman said: “Vehicles used for school transport must meet all vehicle safety rules, including seat belts, safety equipment and road worthiness provisions and all drivers are to comply with these regulations.”
Still, not all buses and minivans have seat belts. In May 2008, an EU directive on seat-belt use in school transport came into force in Malta.
The directive obliges minibuses manufactured after 1997 to be fitted with seat belts. Those manufactured before are exempt. The directorate spokesman pointed out that vehicles approved by Transport Malta were allowed to operate even if they did not have seat belts.
“We have insisted on all safety precautions applicable in Maltese law. If a vehicle is licensed to transport passengers, then it is suitable for students,” he said.
Ms Anderson had also complained that there was nowhere to call, after school hours.
The directorate spokesman said that some schools had secretaries who stay on till about 4.45 p.m. Parents can also call the directorate’s customer care number on 2598 2463.