The fees for the school vans operated by both school managements and private operators are likely to be increased soon.

The state government on Monday gave an assurance to the Madras high court that it would enforce stringent norms to regulate the vans ferrying school students in the state while submitting the draft rules pertaining to the case of the six-year-old student who had been run over by her school van.
Henceforth a maximum of 12 students can be ferried in maxi cab vans — which are widely used for transporting school children — and an attendant not less than 21 years should accompany the children in the vehicle.

While welcoming a few norms like forming committees for the scrutiny of vehicles, school van operators have expressed their displeasure over a few rules. “Private vans that ferry maximum number of school students in the state will have to move out of the business or hike the fees steeply if they have to adhere to the maximum capacity norm,” complained Mr V. Vaira Shekar, president of Tamil Nadu School Van Operators’ Association. He added that they would be left with no options but to increase the van fees from next month considering the maximum number of students allowed.

As many as 50,000 vans carry school children across the state including 10,000 in Chennai. According to the operators, they charge a minimum of `600 for distances below 2 km and Rs800 to Rs900 for distances below 4 km, not exceeding Rs1,000. However, parents like Ms S. Devi of Adambakkam, whose son studies in a school in Central Chennai located 10 km from her place, pay more. “We pay Rs1,500 a month towards van fees,” she said.

Van operators have also alerted the parents about the impending hike. “Though the government has fixed a cap of 12 students + 1 driver for maxi cabs, we ferry a maximum of 18 to 20 students considering the lesser space they occupy compared to adults. If we adhere to the norms, we will be forced to hike the fees, which will hurt the middle class largely as affluent people send their students in their own vehicles.”

State submits draft rules in HC

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday produced before the Madras high court the draft rules to regulate the use of vehicles carrying schoolgoing children, which included the constitution of a district level inter-departmental committee under the chairmanship of the local revenue divisional officer/ sub-collector/ assistant collector at district headquarters for each district to discuss, decide on issues pertaining to the safety of children and their transportation.

Advocate general A. Navaneethakrishnan produced a copy of the draft rules before a division bench of Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnagnam that expressed its satisfaction about it.
Directing the government to notify the rules, the bench said if the rules were implemented in letter and spirit, accidents involving school buses will be minimised and closed the suo motu proceedings.

The bench, which had suo motu taken note to the death of six-year-old Shruthi, who fell through a hole in the floor of the school bus and died, on July 27 directed the government to produce the draft rules that stated that every school should have a transport panel to look into the matters pertaining to safe transportation of school children. Exclusive parent teacher associations should be formed to monitor the maintenance of school buses and safety of the students.

A special cell should be constituted for each regional transport office for the issue and renewal of fitness certificate (FC) for school buses. Every school shall produce their vehicles before the special cell once in three months from the date of issue or renewal of FC and obtain road worthiness certificate. The special cell shall be empowered to suspend/ cancel the FC and such other penal action.

The draft rules prescribed that the driver must have a driving experience of at least five years in a similar category of vehicles. He should not have been challaned more than twice in a year for offences such as jumping red light, violation of lane discipline or allowing unauthorised persons to drive.