Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Apr 23: As the new academic year nears, school bus operators in Mumbai have renewed their legal challenge against the surge of illegal vans ferrying school children, urging the Bombay High Court to expedite hearings in the interest of child safety.
The case, which was mentioned in court on Tuesday, has now been scheduled for hearing on June 10, alongside a pending Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the same issue. The petitioner's advocate emphasized the urgency, noting that schools are set to reopen in June, and the matter must be heard before then to ensure necessary action is taken.
The School Bus Owners' Association (SBOA), the main petitioner, has long decried the “growing menace” of unauthorized vans operating without permits and ferrying children in overcrowded, unsafe conditions across the city. Despite repeated appeals and submission of evidence to the transport commissioner, the issue remains unresolved, they said.
SBOA president Anil Garg said the legal plea will also contest certain government policies and highlight the targeting of registered school buses for minor infractions such as parking violations, even as there is a lack of designated parking areas, a long-standing demand from the association.
Operators expressed deep concern over the sharp rise in non-compliant vehicles. While the number of registered, rule-following school buses has dropped to around 6,000—from 8,000 a few years ago—there are now an estimated 15,000 illegal vans and private vehicles operating in the city.
“These include small vans, private cars, autorickshaws, and black-and-yellow taxis,” Garg noted. “These vehicles ignore basic safety norms — children are stuffed into cramped spaces without attendants or safety equipment. Many flout road, fire safety, and transport regulations.”
Photos submitted by the association reportedly show vans running without valid pollution (PUC) and fitness certificates, permits, or even insurance. More alarmingly, some vans are alleged to carry CNG cylinders with children made to sit on planks above them, posing grave safety risks.
The association is now counting on judicial intervention to curb these dangerous practices before the new school year begins