Maharashtra to introduce new safety & fee guidelines for buses in the upcoming academic year

Maharashtra is set to introduce a new set of guidelines for the upcoming academic year, addressing concerns raised by parents regarding unregulated fee charges and student safety. A committee, chaired by retired transport officer Jitendra Patil, has been formed to draft these new regulations. The committee has been given a month to submit a comprehensive report covering issues such as fee structures, safety standards, and operational transparency.

The new regulations will enforce stringent safety measures, including the mandatory installation of panic buttons, fire suppression sprinklers, and GPS systems. Further, school bus operators charging transportation fees will be required to install centralised CCTV surveillance of their fleet.

Parents have also expressed dissatisfaction with the current fee structure, particularly the practice of charging full annual fees for services rendered only during the 10-month school year. Many have called for more flexible payment plans to ease the financial burden.