District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner Moga, Sagar Setia on Monday issued orders banning the movement of tippers on link roads where schools are located, during school opening hours from 6 am to 9 am and closing hours from 1 pm to 3 pm.
Setia said the restriction had been imposed following instructions received from the Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (PSCPCR) to ensure the safety of schoolchildren from any untoward incident.
The Commission had intervened after a fatal collision between a school vehicle and a tipper truck claimed the lives of seven students and the driver, besides leaving several others injured in Patiala some time back.
Taking a serious view of the tragedy, the Commission has written to the Deputy Commissioner and instructed the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) to carry out strict inspections of overloaded tippers and other heavy vehicles operating in the district.
The PSCPCR was constituted by the state government in 2011 under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, and has the powers of a civil court to conduct suo motu inquiries and examine complaints relating to violation of child rights. It is mandated to inquire into crimes against children, including cases of negligence endangering their safety, and to recommend remedial measures to the administration.
Officials said overloaded tippers pose a serious road safety hazard, particularly near schools. Vehicles laden beyond their rated capacity have longer braking distances, are prone to tyre bursts and mechanical failure, and are harder for drivers to control in sudden situations — risks that multiply sharply on narrow link-road stretches crowded with children on foot, cycles or two-wheelers during school hours.
Poor visibility from overloaded cabins and the sheer mass of these vehicles have been cited as contributing factors in several such accidents in rural and semi-urban Punjab in recent years. The administration said the current restriction, along with the RTO's inspection drive, was meant to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy that prompted the Commission's intervention.