Maharashtra: New guidelines for school buses to address parent complaints

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government will introduce new guidelines for school buses before the next academic year, state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Monday. A single-member committee headed by former additional transport commissioner JB Patil has been appointed in view of several complaints by parents regarding the unregulated charging of fees, as per a release issued by the office of Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.

The Patil committee has been directed to submit its report within a month. The committee will take into account the recommendations made by the Madan Committee set up to look into complaints regarding the unsafe transport of students in autorickshaws. "In accordance with this comprehensive report, norms for school buses will be determined from the new academic year," the release stated.

The state government has received several complaints from parents who claimed that operators of school buses "unreasonably" charge fees for 12 months even though they ferry students for only 10 months. Parents also claimed they were forced to pay fees for the entire year upfront and demanded a monthly payment facility, as per the release. Sarnaik also directed the Patil Committee to consider the safety of students.