Many schools in Thane not following transport rules: RTO

Thane: Pressing for greater safety of children traveling in buses and other vehicles, Thane Regional Transport Officer Vikas Palkar said many schools and transport operators in the district have failed to comply with safety rules laid by the Maharashtra government.

Representational picture

Palkar was addressing a one-day workshop organised for school management and bus operators by the Thane unit of Regional Transport Office here yesterday.

Despite safety rules and regulations issued to school management and transport operators ferrying school children, many are not complying with the rules, which mainly include constituting a transport committee, submitting six-monthly report to RTO, adhering to safety measures in buses, appointing female attendants in buses among others.

Deputy regional transport officer Sanjay Dole said their department is also working towards making it mandatory for schools to install GPS system in vehicles for tracking the movement of school buses, vans. It was directed to schools that the managements should prepare database of students travelling by school buses, vans and other vehicles as a safety check.