The Maharashtra government on Monday, August 11, regularised mini vans for use as school buses, subject to certain conditions, so that parents are not forced to send their children by autorickshaws and other unsafe modes of transport.
An official notification regarding this policy will be released soon.
However, transporters and industry experts claimed the move violates Central government regulations and have given the state 15 days to withdraw the plan.
According to Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, during a recent meeting organized by the State Transport Department with parent groups and school bus associations, concerns were raised about the increasing use of unauthorized vehicles for student transport.
In response, the state government has aligned with the Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) guidelines issued by the Central Government—specifically AIS-204, which defines safety and operational standards for school vans.
Ensuring the safety of school children is the top priority. With these state-of-the-art vans, Maharashtra is poised to lead the nation in safe school transportation, said Sarnaik.
As per the new policy, four-wheeled vehicles with up to 12+1 seating capacity can be granted the status of a school van. These vehicles must comply with BS-VI emission norms and include a range of mandatory safety features.
These features include:
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