60,000 Illegal School Vans: Are Kids Safe In Maharashtra?

In a shocking revelation, Maharashtra’s Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik informed the Assembly that nearly 60% of school vans and buses in the state are operating illegally, without proper permits or safety checks. Out of approximately 1 lakh school transport vehicles in Maharashtra, 60,000 are unauthorised, sparking widespread concern about student safety.

According to the law, school vehicles must have a valid registration certificate, fitness certificate, insurance, PUC, first aid kit, fire extinguisher and a trained female attendant on board. However, most illegal vans flout all these requirements.

In Mumbai alone, the number of such unauthorised school vans has surged to 15,000, with no systematic crackdown in sight. Statewide, only 7,206 vehicles were penalised in the past year, with fines amounting to ₹4.92 crore, a figure activists say is a drop in the ocean.

President of the School Bus Owners' Association (SBOA), Anil Garg, criticised the government for failing to implement a long-promised comprehensive school transport policy. He also raised serious concerns about how illegal vans continue to operate with white number plates, often running overloaded, without female attendants and without basic safety measures.

“Why are Ola and Uber cracked down upon immediately for permit violations, but not school vans carrying our kids? Is this mere negligence or a system looking the other way?" he asked.

Disturbing incidents continue to emerge, including a case in Ambernath where two nursery children fell out of an overcrowded school van due to a faulty door. In other cases, lack of supervision in such vehicles has led to instances of molestation and endangerment of young passengers.

Despite over 40 formal letters sent to authorities, including the RTO, Transport Department and Home Ministry, no significant action has been taken.