Female students not to sit in front seats of school vans: Mansehra Traffic Police

• Police banned the sharing of the front seat in school or college vans by students particularly girls with the drivers.
• The measures have been taken to prevent the harassment of schoolchildren.
  
• The press release issued by police said that parents had complained about the alleged harassment of their children by the van drivers.
  

MANSEHRA: In a bid to protect female students from sexual harassment, the Mansehra Traffic Police said it was prohibiting them from sitting in the front seats of Suzuki vans, according to a report in The News. 

According to a press release issued by the police department, the measures have been taken to prevent the harassment of schoolchildren particularly girls at the hands of van drivers who provide them pick-and-drop services to schools and colleges across the district.

Read more: Six arrested for harassing students in Karachi University's campus

It is said that parents complained to police about the alleged harassment of their children by van drivers, which prompted police to take such measures.

“This is not a human rights issue. In fact, imposing a ban on students to share front seats with drivers is one of the measures being adopted by the Hazara police to protect the lives and dignity of the students,” read the press release.

“We have conducted the screening of school van drivers to ensure that drivers, who used drugs, are not allowed to take children to schools,” it added.