‘Unsafe' school vans are back, no action from RTO, say bus owners
Mumbai: As schools reopened this week, 'unsafe' school vans are back across the city, members of the School Bus Owners' Association said on Wednesday. Its president, Anil Garg, informed the media that the small vans do not follow school bus safety rules, have no woman attendants, and carry more children than permissible.
Alleging inaction by RTO regarding 'unsafe' school transport vehicles, the association said it will petition the govt in this connection.
The number of illegal vehicles operating without valid permits has risen significantly. Unlike bus contractors who operate under school oversight and accept responsibility, the situation with vans lacks clarity, he said. The association has already moved Bombay high court on the issue of 'illegal vans'.
According to school bus operators, the number of vans and private vehicles ferrying school children has increased by 2.5 times the number of legitimate school buses currently operating in Mumbai. Association members said that in some photos already taken, they discovered several vans operating with expired PUC, fitness certificates, no permit, and lacking vehicle insurance.
For many school leaders, the familiar sight of small vans weaving through narrow gullies is less a compromise and more a necessity in some cases.
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"They serve a purpose," said Francis Joseph, executive director (India) of GEMS Education, "especially when schools are tucked deep inside neighbourhoods where full-sized buses simply can't go."
Parents, too, aren't just making economic choices when they pick these smaller vehicles. "They like that these vans drop their children right at the doorstep," Joseph said. "There are fewer kids, the routes are shorter, and the ride is quicker."
But even in their convenience, these vans must not be above the rules. "Safety norms and regulations are non-negotiable," he added.
Parents say a flat bus fee pinches those who live close by. "We too want our children to travel by school bus, but it is prohibitively expensive," said Natasha Parikh. "It is sad that some parents pool 5/6 kids into one rickshaw, some are cramped in vans... parents know these options are not the best, but what other option do they have?"
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