Submit Transport Safety Records In A Week Or Pay ₹50,000: HC To Schools

Nagpur: The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay high court on Friday granted a final one-week deadline to city schools to submit records of Transport Committee meetings held over the past two years warning that each defaulting institution would have to deposit ₹50,000 in court. The court also sought detailed lists of buses and vans used for student transport.A division bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode issued the directives while hearing Suo Motu PIL initiated after the death of a schoolchild who was run over by a bus, a case that spotlighted recurring safety lapses in school transportation.
The court also cautioned the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to fully comply with its earlier order dated January 16, 2026, failing which the concerned officer would be required to remain personally present before the bench.Assistant regional transport officer Santoshkumar Katkar, through additional govt pleader Deepak Thakare, informed the court that affidavits were filed in compliance with orders dated September 13, 2025, and January 16, 2026. However, referring to its February 6 order, the bench noted that the list of schools operating buses or vans — whether owned directly or through contractors — remained incomplete. "Despite sufficient time lapsing, the said direction was not complied with," the court observed.According to the assistant regional transport officer, a total of 3,690 school buses and vans are operating across Nagpur City, East Nagpur, and rural areas. Of these, only 541 vehicles (15%) are owned by the respective schools, while 3,149 vehicles (85%) are operated through contractors.Earlier, the RTO was directed to furnish a comprehensive list of such schools, and the respondent schools were asked to file charts of Transport Committee meetings conducted over the past two years by January 30. None of the schools complied.Underscoring the gravity of the matter, the bench observed that the petition concerns "the safety of students while commuting to school and returning home." It remarked, "Students' safety in school buses/vans is something we cannot afford to overlook," adding that "schools ought to be more concerned and serious about this issue."The judges recorded that no school appeared to be regularly holding mandatory Transport Committee meetings, which must convene at least once every three months prior to each semester. In the absence of submitted charts, the court drew a prima facie inference that meetings were not conducted. Counsel for one respondent school stated that no such meeting was held in the past two years, prompting the bench to express surprise.In a related direction, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) was asked to file an affidavit detailing designated stoppages for school buses and vans. The NMC submitted photographs showing signage installed at various locations but acknowledged that additional boards were required where earlier ones were damaged. The court sought a timeline for replacing old signboards and installing new ones.Transport authorities have now placed on record a summarised list of schools operating buses and vans under the jurisdiction of the RTO (City and Rural) and the Deputy RTO, Nagpur (East), in compliance with the latest directions.