Keep eye on school bus contractors flouting safety norms: Bombay High Court tells Transport Department

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the State Transport Department to warn school bus contractors who do not comply with safety norms. The Bombay High Court has said that such contractors need to comply with safety rules to ensure children are safe, while travelling to and from the schools.

A division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Girish Kulkarni were informed about several discrepancies found in schools buses, during a random inspection carried out by the transport department. To which the court said: "Don't take these deficiencies lightly, take proper action. Undertake a well planned drive to ensure these deficiencies are overcome by the school bus contractors and the schools."

The bench has also asked the department to inform the concerned schools about the shortcomings it found in the school buses, so that they can question the contractors on lack of safety measures, during the renewal of their lease or mid-way. The court also suggested to the state education department to make all schools aware and assist in forming a school bus committee, at each district, which would monitor school buses and ensure proper safety of children.

The direction was given during the hearing of a public interest litigation, filed by NGO PTA United, highlighting the non-compliance of rules by school buses, posing a danger to the safety of children. The petition states that as per the definition of a school bus, a vehicle having seating capacity of over 13 can operate as a school bus. However, even auto rickshaws and Maruti vans are used as school bus. On the last hearing, the court had asked the transport department to carry out a random inspection, as it was pointed out that several incidents of overcrowding was taking place.