Why the state policy on safety norms for school bus fell flat

Recently, there has been a rise in the number of accidents involving school buses in Mumbai and its satellite cities.

This has led to growing resentment against the state government, education and transport departments for its failure to push for legislations about the issue.

In January 2008, six schoolchildren were charred to death after a fire broke out due to an LPG leak inside a Maruti van at Jogeshwari. The vehicle had no permit to ferry schoolchildren as it was not a school bus.

A committee was formed to make a policy for school buses in the state in July 2008. As the panel mulled over the policy, on August 20, 2009, four children died and over 20 suffered serious burns due to a short-circuit in a school bus at Panvel.

In December 2009, at least eight schoolchildren were injured when a bus of Delhi Public School collided with another on Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai.

After the draft of the school bus policy was put up, suggestions and objections were sought in mid-2010. After discussions in the special committee, inputs from bus operators, parents as well as the schools were not sought.

After much delay, a government resolution regarding the school bus policy was released by the Transport Department.

However, schools and bus operators complained that they were not taken into confidence about the norms of the state’s new school bus policy, thereby leading to failure in implementing it.