Transport department partially rolls back school bus policy

To make peace with the school bus operators, the state transport department has partially rolled back the school bus policy by offering exemptions on safety features such as allowing them to ply their old buses until 2013.

“Many of the important conditions will take time to be implemented and hence, we have decided to give more time to operators to work out a solution. The rollback would not have any effect on the safety aspect of school bus transport,” clarified a senior transport department official.

The first condition on phasing out vehicles that more than 15 years old has been relaxed until next year and bus operators can ply their old buses. “It will be mandatory for operators to phase out these buses by May 1, 2013,” the official added.

Operators have also been allowed to ply school buses that are 18 years old until April 30, 2013.

The transport department has granted exemption on painting the 150mm wide golden brown band on all sides of the school buses below the window until May 31, 2012, and also on the requirement of an additional footstep in buses, wherein the lowest footstep is up to 350mm higher from the ground level.

Operators objected to the latter condition saying that the low footstep would have damaged the bottom of the buses. 

A number of other clauses too have been given an additional time-frame.

In March 2011, the state government had formulated the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Regulations for School Buses), Rules 2011, following a rise in number of accidents involving school buses. But the rules were not implemented following protests from school bus operators.

Operators said they do not oppose all the 23 clauses, but just seven to eight “impractical” ones.