School buses: 1 authority should ensure safety, High Court tells UT

Directions came from Justice Rajive Bhalla after he stated that certain media reports had projected that there was a great degree of confusion going on among authorities about who is to ensure the implementation of security-related norms.

"The UT Administration is only heritage-conscious and it is not worried about the students who are our future heritage," added Justice Bhalla.

During the resumed hearing of the case related to school buses, the counsel for the UT Administration apprised the bench that the Administration had already started morning CTU bus services for government schools students.

Considering the fact, Justice Bhalla said that though authorities are providing bus service at subsidised rates, the Administration should look into the issue that children should board buses from safe places, perhaps inside the schools, and in case this is not possible, separate areas could be demarcated on the side of the schools for the buses.

If children are crossing roads, it means their safety is being jeopardised. Government schools always have more space than private schools so there can be possibility of making bus stops inside the school, opined Justice Bhalla.

When the High Court asked the Administration why afternoon services should also not be started, the counsel replied that at present the CTU has few buses, but that it has mooted a plan to purchase 100 more buses, and that then afternoon services can be started.

The High Court directed the state of Haryana to inform the court on the next date of hearing about whether it has put some mechanism in place for conducting inspections of the school buses, and if it has, what the number of such inspections conducted so far is.

The case will now come up for hearing on March 1 of this year.

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