Safe bus ride to school for your child? Not just yet

After blundering with the Right to Education Act, the state is set to mess with the implementation of the amended school bus policy.
Even a week after receiving suggestions and objections, the transport department is yet to send its proposals to the amendments to the policy.

Transport commissioner VN More said the department will consider all the suggestions and objections from stakeholders and send its proposals this week. “The final decision will have to be taken by the government. No time frame can be provided as to when all these procedures will end,” he said.

As per recommendations made by the Joint Technical Committee set up after the statewide school bus strike for considering the demands of the School Bus Operators’ Association (SBOA), the state had put up more than 10 major amendments to the policy for public response on May 4. May 22 was the deadline.

Once the transport department decides on the proposed amendments this week, only then will the changes be sent to the state government for its approval.

Opposition from the SBOA is expected to ensure more delay in the implementation of the amended policy. Anil Garg of the SBOA claimed PTAs and schools are supporting them. “We will hold a joint press conference on June 4 giving details on our opposition to the policy,” he said.