Only 9 school buses in Pune have speed governors

Rules ensuring safe transport for schoolchildren are being blatantly ignored in the city. Though the state government has made it compulsory for all school buses to have speed governors, only nine buses in the city have done so, according to statistics available from the Pune regional transport office (RTO).

The number of mishaps involving school buses forced the state government to come up with a school bus transport policy last year. However, it hardly made any difference and schoolchildren continue to travel in unsafe conditions. This year, the state government made speed governors compulsory for all city school buses under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. However, school bus transporters are not coming forward for installation of speed governors in their vehicles.

Arun Yeola, regional transport officer of Pune RTO said, “This rule came into effect from May 1. Ten agencies are authorised to install speed governors on school buses. However, till date only nine school buses in the city have installed speed governors.”
In Pune, there are 1,663 school buses. Sources from the school bus owners’ association said they are in favour of speed governors and all city school buses will have them installed soon.

Baba Shinde, president of Maharashtra State Private School Bus Owners’ Association said, “We are not at all opposing the speed governors for school buses. The schools will reopen in June second week and I am sure many of the school bus owners will install speed governors before that.”