Punjab and Haryana High Court has said the school buses without the equipment cannot be allowed to ply and they are liable to be impounded. (File Photo)
THE PUNJAB and Haryana High Court has taken strong note of a written submission by the UT Administration that disconnected speed governor of the school buses was a “minor discrepancy” for which only a warning has been issued to the erring schools by the authorities. The High Court has said the school buses without the equipment cannot be allowed to ply and they are liable to be impounded. “We are of the view that the school buses without speed governor cannot be allowed to ply and such buses are liable to be impounded till the speed governors are fitted,” a division bench of the High Court has said.
The secretary of the State Transport Authority in a status report before a division bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ajay Tiwari has submitted that inspection of the school buses is carried out from time to time and most of the buses are complying with the rules and regulations “except where some minor discrepancies have been noticed”.
Noting that the buses found to be plying without the speed governors have been let off with mere warnings, the High Court has asked the Chandigarh Administration to immediately take the necessary action and file a status report on the next date of hearing. The High Court directions have come in the case relating to frequent accidents of buses ferrying children. The division bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ajay Tiwari while disposing of the case on January 20 this year had asked the states of Punjab and Haryana and UT Administration to file their respective status reports on the directions within three months.
The division bench in the January directions had said the Safe School Vahan Policy is the collective responsibility of the child right protection commissions and the transport departments, and had directed the authorities to ensure no vehicle meant for travelling of girl students is allowed to ply without a woman attendant and no vehicle meant for travel of the boys is also without any attendant.
