As many as 250 school buses, including ten of Ryan International Group of Institutions, have been impounded during the ongoing drive by the Delhi Government’s transport department against errant school vehicles, official said on Friday.
The drive was launched after a school bus conductor has been arrested for the murder of the seven-year-old boy in Gurugram’s Ryan International School. Several enforcement teams of the transport department impounded 250 private school buses for violations, the official said. “Among the impounded buses, 10 were of Ryan International group of schools,” the official added.
Efforts to get Ryan International Group’s comments elicited no response. Enforcement teams found that some drivers were not carrying PSV (public service vehicle) badges and some conductors did not meet the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court, the official said.
As per the rules, the conductor of a school bus requires a licence and must be 10th pass.
The Delhi Government has also formed a high-level committee to look into safety aspects, including transportation of children at schools after allegations of private school buses flouting of norms and rules putting safety and security of students at stake.
The high-level committee of the Government headed by the director of its Directorate of Education (DoE) has proposed amendments in the School Cab Policy, 2007, to make schools answerable for buses and cabs ferrying school children.
According to transport department officials, over 10,000 private buses and cabs were hired for ferrying schoolchildren in the city.
The drive against these vehicles has been launched in view of their “compromised” safety measures and other violations.
Besides buses, cabs and vans carrying schoolchildren have also been impounded by the enforcement teams.
Till July, 900 vans were impounded and close to 2,000 fined for flouting permit norms as part the drive, he added.