Education authorities nationwide have taken further measures to ensure school bus safety after the school bus rollover accident in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province.

Beijing:

In an emergency notice, the Beijing education authority has made clear that school buses may not go faster than 60km an hour.

The authority also banned school buses from operating in extreme weather conditions, such as heavy snow or fog.

All school buses in the city will be checked and unlicensed school buses will be banned.

Meanwhile, the authority will also give lessons to students and preschoolers about the potential risk of overloaded or unlicensed school buses.

Chongqing:

The local authorities have decided that primary and middle school schoolmasters will be fired if unlicensed or overloaded school buses are found.

The traffic authority has mapped specific routes for school buses and schools will be punished for buses operating outside the authorized routes.

School bus drivers will receive training and be tested in the near future.

The traffic authority will take any trucks, tractors and other unlicensed vehicles found transporting students off the road.

Jiangsu:

Inspection teams have been sent to kindergartens and schools to check the school bus safety, and any buses that do not meet the safety standard will be banned from operation.

Police and traffic authorities will also conduct more road patrols against unlicensed and overloaded school buses.

Education authorities have been ordered to teach parents and students about commuting by school bus.

China Daily

(China Daily 12/15/2011 page5)