Nagpur: In a shocking revelation that exposes blatant disregard for children’s safety, 837 school buses without fitness certificates are plying on Nagpur’s roads, putting thousands of innocent students at grave risk. The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has come down heavily on the authorities, demanding answers over this glaring negligence.
Hearing a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) linked to the tragic 2012 death of 8-year-old Virat Zade, who was crushed by a school bus, the bench comprising Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Sachin Deshmukh expressed serious concern over the situation. The court has directed the School Education Department and the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to submit a detailed affidavit by Thursday, July 10, outlining measures taken to ensure student safety.
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During the hearing, Senior Advocate Firdous Mirza, acting as amicus curiae, informed the court that a recent inspection carried out in June revealed that 837 school buses failed to meet basic fitness standards. Shockingly, these vehicles continue to operate, ferrying children to and from schools, with virtually no checks in place.
Mirza also exposed the complete failure of school-level committees, district authorities, the RTO, and the police in enforcing safety norms. “There is no accountability. The required safety mechanisms such as Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) systems and Speed Limiting Governors (SLG) are yet to be fully implemented, despite repeated court directions,” he pointed out.
The High Court has now ordered authorities to submit comprehensive data regarding the condition of school buses and safety measures for the academic years 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26.
The court’s tough stand has once again brought the spotlight on the lax enforcement of basic transport safety regulations — a failure that could have catastrophic consequences for young schoolchildren.
