School Bus Owners Association Sounds Alarm Over Illegal Van Operations in Maharashtra
In response to disturbing safety incidents involving school transport, including a recent Badlapur case where a 4-year-old girl was allegedly molested by a van driver and previous incidents where children fell from moving vehicles, the School Bus Owners Association Maharashtra (SBOA) has urgently petitioned state authorities. The association has highlighted what it describes as a rapidly expanding and largely unchecked network of illegal school vans operating across Maharashtra, posing significant risks to children's safety.
Scale of the Problem: Nearly 4,000 Unauthorized Vehicles
The SBOA estimates that approximately 4,000 unauthorized school vans are currently operating throughout Maharashtra without proper regulatory oversight. In a media statement released on Tuesday, the association demanded immediate, time-bound action from both the Traffic Police and the Transport Department to prevent what they termed "avoidable risks" from escalating into "irreversible tragedy."
SBOA President Anil Garg emphasized the growing public concern, stating that parents and citizens are increasingly asking, "How many warnings will it take before preventable risks turn into irreversible tragedy?" The association alleges that these unauthorized vans routinely flout basic safety requirements and operate completely outside the regulatory framework designed to protect children during their daily commutes.
Critical Safety Deficiencies Identified
According to the SBOA's assessment, many of these illegal vehicles operate without:
- Valid permits or fitness certificates
- Proper insurance coverage
- Essential safety equipment including speed governors
- CCTV cameras and GPS tracking systems
- First-aid kits and fire extinguishers
The association raised particular concerns about driver verification processes, noting that background checks and identity validation are frequently absent in these unauthorized operations. Perhaps most alarmingly, the SBOA identified the non-availability of lady attendants in vehicles carrying young children as a critical safety gap, leaving students vulnerable during boarding, travel, and dispersal.
Call for Emergency Action and Systemic Reform
"When vehicles operate outside regulation, accountability disappears and enforcement becomes reactive rather than preventive," the association stated in their petition. They have urged authorities to treat this issue as a public safety emergency requiring immediate intervention.
The SBOA's demands include:
- A citywide crackdown on illegal school vans with immediate seizure of non-compliant vehicles
- Stringent penalties for repeat offenders operating unauthorized transport services
- Mandatory lady attendants across all school transport vehicles carrying children
- Strict verification of driver identities and comprehensive background checks
- Proper training protocols for all school transport personnel
Comprehensive Safety Framework Proposed
Beyond immediate enforcement actions, the association has called for uniform implementation of safety norms across Maharashtra. This includes consistent enforcement of vehicle fitness standards, regular driver background verification, adherence to speed limits, functional CCTV systems, active GPS monitoring, and strict compliance with designated pick-up and drop protocols.
The SBOA also emphasized shared responsibility, arguing that schools and parents must actively engage only with compliant vehicles. To facilitate this, they proposed creating a transparent, publicly accessible list of authorized school transport operators, along with establishing a dedicated helpline for reporting safety violations and non-compliant operations.
The association's petition comes at a critical juncture, following multiple safety incidents that have exposed vulnerabilities in the state's school transport system. Their comprehensive approach addresses both immediate enforcement needs and long-term systemic reforms to ensure children's safety during school commutes.
