Joana Plan: Measures for School Transport Safety
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Why was the Plan Joana launched?
The plan follows the Châteaudun accident on January 30, 2025, which claimed the life of Joana, a high school student. The checks organized after the tragedy led the State, local authorities, and transport operators to strengthen prevention, screening, and vehicle safety.
The government file structures the action around five axes: prevention and screening, vehicle safety, user involvement, strengthening sanctions, and increasing control capacities.
Which measures directly concern drivers?
- at least one random screening per year per public or school transport driver;
- screening during medical examinations required for heavy vehicle license renewal;
- a module on the risks of addictive behaviors in initial and ongoing training;
- encouragement of systematic screenings at hiring and prevention actions in school transport companies.
What does the plan provide for vehicles and passengers?
The government has set the goal of integrating an immobilizer system linked to drug screening in new school transport vehicles within four years, subject to necessary technical and regulatory developments.
The plan also provides for better reporting of risky behaviors, increased awareness of seat belt use, and work on safety equipment and vigilance decline detection.
Is ketamine made mandatory by Plan Joana?
The official file of April 30, 2025, does not set a regulatory list of substances requiring ketamine detection in all tests. Presenting this substance as a general obligation arising from Plan Joana would therefore be inaccurate in the absence of a specific subsequent text.
The choice of the panel must correspond to the applicable protocol, identified risks, documented device performance, and regulatory or contractual requirements actually in force.
What about companies outside school transport?
Plan Joana does not automatically extend to construction, industry, events, or all security positions. These companies remain subject to the general obligation to protect workers' health and safety, but any screening must be justified, proportionate, and regulated.
In its decision of December 5, 2016, the Council of State admitted, under examined conditions, that a trained supervisor may perform a saliva test on employees in particularly sensitive positions. The internal regulations notably provided for professional secrecy regarding the result and the right to a medical counter-expertise at the employer's expense.
How to build a compliant protocol?
- precisely identify positions for which impairment represents a high danger;
- involve competent actors: management, prevention, occupational health service, CSE, and legal counsel when necessary;
- provide control conditions in the internal regulations or applicable document;
- train persons responsible for sampling and reading;
- guarantee confidentiality, traceability, and counter-expertise;
- plan conduct that protects individuals without confusing prevention, discipline, and medical diagnosis.
