‘How come small vehicles, autos ferrying children’

Mumbai: The Bombay high court was irked with the state government’s stand on allowing vehicles with less than 13 seats and auto-rickshaws to ferry school children, and be used as school vehicles.

The court asked the state government how the transport commissioner at last hearing confidently stated that autos and small vehicles would continue ferrying school children when the central government rules had been framed in 2016 and the state government’s new act was pending with the president.

A division bench helmed by Justice Naresh Patil was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) United Forum, seeking direction to the state to ensure proper implementation of school bus safety norms as laid down by the Centre in the Motor Vehicles Act, 2012. The petition stated that despite rules and guidelines having been formulated and school buses defined by the act, the state had been issuing permits to vehicles with less than 12+1 seating capacity. Earlier, the court had directed the state to take action against private school bus owners who did not follow safety norms as prescribed by the state government.

Chief government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani told the court that for the past two years, the state was only conducting meetings and nothing had moved till date.