MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the state government and the School Bus Owners Association (SBOA) to file an affidavit clarifying their move towards the implementation of new safety rules for school buses and speed governors.
Earlier, a division bench headed by justice D.Y. Chandrachud, considering the child welfare paramount, had refused to grant stay over the implementation of the new safety rules laid down by the state as demanded by SBOA. The state government had framed 23 safety rules for school buses and it couldn’t be implemented yet because of the objections raised by the Associations. According to the petition, there were certain technical difficulties in following the new safety rules. Observing that the government should enforce the rule in the right spirit considering this pending petition, the court said that the safety and welfare of children is important and should be ensured. Representing the petitioners, counsel Venkatesh Dhond argued that there were several difficulties that needed to be sorted out before the implementation of the rules as the changes were not cosmetic, they are structural changes.
