‘Take action against vans illegally ferrying kids before schools reopen’

The School Bus Owners' Association (SBOA) will soon submit to the state transport department a petition along with photographic evidence of illegal school vans and the areas where they are operating in Mumbai. The association has demanded that govt take strict action against the illegal van operators before schools reopen in a month.
Bus owners have raised concerns about the increasing number of small vans, private cars, autorickshaws, and black-and-yellow taxis transporting schoolchildren. According to SBOA president Anil Garg, many of these vehicles compromise student safety by cramming several children into cramped spaces without attendants and lack both road and fire safety measures in violation of the state govt’s school bus safety policy. Many vans are said to be operating without valid permits.

The bus operators have already filed a case in Bombay high court, with the matter scheduled to be heard in June, alongside a pending PIL on the same issue.
Garg stated that the ongoing legal case will also contest certain govt policies and highlight police action against school buses for illegal parking, despite repeated requests for designated parking areas in earlier petitions to the govt.
According to school bus operators, the number of illegal vans and private vehicles ferrying schoolchildren has risen to 2.5 times the current number of compliant school buses operational in Mumbai. The number of regulated school buses is now around 6,000, reduced from 8,000 a few years ago, whereas the estimate of ‘unscrupulous’ vehicles has reached approximately 15,000.
SBOA members stated that they have taken photographs of many vans operating with expired PUCs, fitness certificates, no permit, and lacking vehicle insurance. SBOA sources said CNG cylinders are commonly found in these vans, with children often required to sit on planks placed above the cylinders, posing serious risks.
Sources added that some operators have acquired a fleet of second-hand vans and transport as many children as possible from the outset, in pursuit of maximum profits.
SBOA members further observed that school buses offer comparatively greater safety by adhering to regulations on the number of children per vehicle, as well as fire and road safety norms. However, parents have reported that school buses are often costlier, with vans and autorickshaws being more affordable — a factor influencing their choice. One parent, however, said that some school buses were not as well maintained as claimed and the drivers often lacked efficiency.
In a related development, SBOA has declared that school bus fees will rise by 10-12% from the next academic year. A senior association member stated that the fare hike is necessary due to various factors that have increased operational costs.
The govt is considering the introduction of new school bus safety rules for students across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, based on the recommendations of a one-member panel. However, an SBOA member voiced opposition to the panel and the formation of new rules.
“When there is already an existing School Bus Policy of 2011 and a Suraksha committee policy as well as Supreme Court guidelines on school buses, there is no need for a new set of rules,” the member pointed out.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the school bus operators association have been called for a meeting with the senior state transport officials on May 8 to discuss various important issues regarding school students’ safety, a member said on Saturday.