Bhopal: Govt talks tough; buses to be acquired to ferry kids

Bhopal: The government has not taken kindly to the school buses and vans going off the roads for a day in the city to protest “harassment by police and transport authorities”. Home minister Bhupendra Singh told newspersons at the Mantralaya on Wednesday that the school bus and van operators will have to follow the SC guidelines and state government rules if they want to run their vehicles.

Singh said that if the operators do not fall in line, the government would acquire the buses to make transport arrangements for children. The minister said that he has written to the school education department to ensure that the schools have the wherewithal to provide transport facilities to the students before giving recognition to them. In case of existing schools, it should be verified if they have adequate arrangements for safe transport of children.

Singh said that schools have a greater responsibility as far as the security and safety of the children is concerned, than the police and the transport department. He said that Madhya Pradesh was the only state in the country that does not charge any tax from school buses. “The schools should strictly follow all the rules and norms meant for the security of the children,” he said.

He said that the fine to be levied on school buses not adhering to the rules has been quadrupled and in the next step, the government may go in for seizure of such bases. He said the home department will procure speed radar guns for checking the speed of school buses. A budget of Rs 40 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose.