Mumbai: No clarity on resuming school bus services, say bus owners

Buses parked outside a school in the Fort area. File pic

With schools in various parts of the state opening up, there is still no clarity on whether school buses should resume services and how they would operate. The recent death of a school bus owner from Amravati has once again brought to focus the fact that specific rules need to be framed so that the services can be resumed.

Though the bus owners were hopeful that with the reopening of schools they would be able to restart their businesses, the government is yet to provide any clarity and come out with a standard operating procedure.

Prafulla Gatphane from Amravati's Kolvihir village allegedly died by suicide on Saturday, as he could not repay a vehicle loan. "An association there had written a letter to the bank requesting more time. There was some relief initially, but soon the bank started sending reminders to him. It is high time that the government understands the condition of all those running school bus businesses. Even after sending several letters, the government has avoided us," said Anil Garg, president of the School Bus Owners Association (SBOA), which recently wrote to the government seeking clarity on guidelines for school buses.

He added, "Now that schools have reopened for junior classes, buses can also resume as students need the facility. Many owners from Pune, Nagpur and Nashik have reached out to me seeking clarity on the SOP. Even though parents want the services to start, schools and local administrations are adamant on keeping them shut, as there are no guidelines. Who will take responsibility if any student gets infected?"

He said, "If schools can start by adhering to guidelines, even school buses can. Why are we not being given the green signal? It is up to parents whether they want to avail the service."