<p>School bus operators oppose illegal vans ferrying children in Mumbai<input></p>

MUMBAI: The school bus operators’ case opposing illegal vans in Mumbai in the interest of child safety came up in Bombay high court on Tuesday and matter has been posted for hearing on June 10 along with hearing on a pending PIL on the same issue.
The petitioner’s advocate mentioned that schools will be starting from June, and should be heard at the earliest. The court subsequently announced it will hear the case on June 10.
The operators are opposing the growing menace of illegal vans ferrying school children packed in cramped conditions and operating without proper permits in several parts of the city.
Representatives of the SBOA have stated that they have repeatedly approached the transport commissioner’s office, submitting petitions along with proof of illegal van operations in Mumbai, but the problem persists.
“The ongoing legal case will also challenge certain government policies and highlight police action against school buses for illegal parking, despite there being no designated parking areas for school buses as requested in previous petitions to the government,” said SBOA president Anil Garg.
According to school bus operators, the number of illegal vans and private vehicles ferrying school children with scant regard for student safety or compliance with transport department rules has increased by 2.5 times the number of legitimate school buses currently operating in Mumbai. While the number of compliant school buses is now around 6,000—a marked decrease from 8,000 a few years ago—the tally of ‘unscrupulous’ vehicles has surged to approximately 15,000 in the metropolis.
Bus owners highlighted the proliferation of small vans, private cars, autorickshaws, and black-and-yellow taxis transporting school children. “The vans and private vehicles openly flout rules, compromise student safety by cramming several children into small, cramped vehicles without attendants. There are no road or fire safety measures in place, and the state government’s school bus safety policy is being violated,” Garg pointed out.
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.
According to sources in SBOA, CNG gas cylinders are found in many vans ferrying students, with young children often made to sit on a plank placed above the CNG cylinder, which is extremely dangerous.