A division bench of Madras high court, comprising Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, who had suo motu taken note of the death of Shruthi, on Friday directed the state government to produce the draft rule for running school buses, to save the lives of school-going children who travel by buses owned by schools and other educational institutions.
The government should produce the draft rule before the bench within two weeks. “A special cell may be created under the said rule empowering the special officers for giving fitness certificate for the school buses and for imposing other stringent conditions, including penal provision for violation thereof,” the bench has said.
The bench said the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicle Rules do not provide any provisions for maintenance, fitness and conditions for plying school buses. It was high time the government came up with a rule fixing the criteria and conditions for running school buses meant for carrying children, it said.
Advocate general A. Navaneethakrishnan submitted that notice has been issued by the educational department for the closure of the school in question.
“We are of the view that since this court is seized of the matter, and taking into consideration the interest of the children studying in the school in question, the school may not be closed.
The management/owner of the school shall pay an interim compensation of Rs 50,000 to the parents of the deceased child within one week, which will be subject to the final compensation that may be awarded by court,” the bench added.