City schools hire private buses as govt cracks whip
NEWDELHI:The Delhi government may have impounded 400 school buses for flouting rules. But sources said the crackdown has not done anything in ensuring the safety of students in the city.
The transport department, as it turns out, has been impounding only the yellow-coloured school buses and not the private ones that often ply illegally.
With their licensed buses seized, schools have now begun to hire private buses for the purpose which is likely to create a bigger safety hazard.
“In some schools, up to 3-4 buses have been impounded. Such schools are hiring private buses to fill the gap. We have to press these buses into action immediately, so there’s no time to verify the drivers and conductors being sent by private transport agencies,” said RC Jain, president of Delhi State Public Schools Management Association.
Fearing seizures of their vehicles, some schools have stopped using their official buses and have asked parents to manage transportation of their children.
According to transport department officials, over 10,000 private buses and cabs are hired for ferrying school children in the city.
When Hindustan Times pointed out the flaw in the department’s enforcement drive, a transport department officials said: “Our focus till now has been on the official school buses only. But, today (Monday) it was brought to our notice that the schools are instead resorting to private buses. Action will be taken against them once school exams are over.”
10 DAYS GIVEN TO ALL DELHI SCHOOLS
Representatives of city schools met Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot on Monday to discuss the crackdown on buses. The government has given the schools 10 days time for their buses to conform to the rules.
“Schools had sought relaxation of certain rules like reducing the qualification of conductors from Class 10 to Class 8. But, we are not going to compromise on the safety of children. However, on the request of school owners, enforcement action will not be taken till September 28 owing to ongoing examinations,” Gahlot told Hindustan Times.