After being rapped by the Bombay High Court for violating court orders, the Maharashtra State Transport Commissioner’s office on Thursday assured the court that it would modify a circular issued by it recently allowing three wheelers and vans to be used as school buses.
Government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani said, “The modified circular will be issued within one week, thereby allowing only those vehicles which meet safety standards as laid down by the central government rules for school buses to ply on the roads.”
The court also asked the government to continue carrying out its random checking drive to ensure school buses ferrying children have proper safety measures. The government had recently issued a circular that effectively nullified a previous high court order regulating school buses.
The state permitted three-wheelers and vans with seating capacity of less than 12 to ferry children to and from their schools. However, as per the central government’s norms, notified last year, school buses are vehicles that have a seating capacity of 13 passengers and more, excluding the driver.
As per both the Centre and the state’s own rules, these buses must also be designed and constructed specially and must conform to safety rules and features.
In the past, the high court, which has been hearing a PIL seeking that school buses comply with the state and the central rules, has issued several directions to the government asking it to ensure that the school buses complied with the above rules.
There are 1,08,000 schools across Maharashtra, and 25,000 buses are used for ferrying children, the court was informed. In July, the government informed the court that during random checking action against 995 school buses and 869 other vehicles plying as school vans to ferry children has been initiated last month, for not following safety norms.
WHAT RULES SAY
- A vehicle having seating capacity over 13 seats can operate as a school bus
- Buses should have grills on windows to ensure that children don’t put their hands out while the vehicle is moving
- A person must keep a check on the children. If possible, CCTV cameras should be installed
