The policy was conceptualised by activist and policymaker Indrani Malkani in 2002, putting the safety of the schoolchildren above other considerations.
Most school bus operators don’t follow the new norms mandated by the state government’s school bus policy.
A group of five operators, however, has been following a similar set of safety norms based on the Model School Bus policy, which has served as the skeletal framework for the state’s policy, in some elite schools in the city.
The Model School Bus policy was conceptualised by activist and policymaker Indrani Malkani in 2002, putting the safety of the schoolchildren above other considerations.
Initiating their work with Malkani nine years ago, Universal School Bus Company, Spencer Travels, Irani Travels, Viraz School Buses and Apsara Travels began a gradual shift towards implementing a standard set of norms to ensure that the ride between home and school was safe for schoolchildren.
The schools that have adopted the policy include the Cathedral and John Connon School, JB Petit School and Ababai Petit School.
Owner of Spencer Travels, Fredy Spencer, has 15 buses on as many routes in Cathedral School, which has about 54 routes, serviced by five different bus operators.
“The (Model School Bus) policy is quite effective. It has helped make the children’s commute between their homes and schools much safer. With the commuting by bus having been made compulsory for schoolchildren, it has also contributed to making south Mumbai less congested (1,500-odd students travel in 50 buses) and pollution-free,” said Spencer.
Manisha and her husband Anil Shah, who own the 15 bus fleet of Apsara Travels, provide school bus services to three SoBo schools.
Shah believes the policy is beneficial for bus operators also. “The norms act as one of the important reasons to keep the physical condition of the buses good as it has a direct relationship with children’s safety and comfort. Further, operators who dedicate buses just for schools have tax incentives. Thus, there are incentives to maintain a quality bus fleet for the operator.”
Shiraz Kapadia of Viraz School Buses feels the policy should be replicated by all schools and bus operators. However, there is a lack of awareness about the rules.
“Most operators are unaware about the new norms proposed under the school bus safety rules as the RTO officials do not bother to organise sessions to increase awareness,” Kapadia said.
Another bus operator among the five who requested anonymity had some strong words for the family.
“Parents continue to look at the money aspect more than safety. They prefer sending their children in tempos and other vehicles which are unsafe. Implementing this policy has meant some measure of loss for us, too. How will we recover it if parents do not send their children in buses?” he asked.
Anil Garg of the School Bus Operators’ Association, said: “Nothing comes free. If regular bus operators are allowed to charge fees that are charged by these schools, providing the facilities that they provide can be feasible. Over 90% of the school buses are in a good condition. Wednesday’s incident was unfortunate. Please, do not blame only the bus operator.”
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