Johor sets guidelines with APAD on school vans following death of five-year old left behind in vehicle

The Johor state government has produced a set of guidelines and standard operating procedures for school bus and van driver management to prevent further incidents such as the death of a five-year old who was left behind in a school van last month, reported The Star.

These guidelines have been produced through collaboration between the state’s education department and the land public transport agency (APAD), said Johor education and information committee chairman Aznan Tamin.

“The SOP covers areas such as school bus and van driver management, vehicle licence, inspection and maintenance, monitoring of children’s safety, monitoring children’s attendance, and what to do in case of emergencies. This includes requiring school vans ferrying more than 10 children to have an assistant, who will be responsible for making sure that the kids are safely in and out of the vehicle,” Aznan said.

Other guidelines include requiring licensed school bus and van drivers to undergo special training about child safety, road safety and emergency aid procedures, and for them to undergo mental and physical assessments. The SOP for school vans has been implemented, and enforcement will follow soon, he added.

The incident occurred on April 30 when a five-year-old was reportedly found unconscious in a school van in Taman Bukit Indah, believed to have been left behind in the vehicle when the school van driver had dropped off other students. The child was found at noon, and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

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