Mumbai: The RAK Marg police Tuesday evening detained the driver of an Omni van, Ashfaq Sheikh, after he was seen ferrying 28 school children in the seven-seat vehicle. The police intercepted the vehicle near Wadala railway station.
According to the police, any vehicle with less than 13 seats is not allowed to carry school kids under the new Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Regulations for School Buses) Rules, 2011.
According to the new rules, a special permit has to be obtained to operate a school bus however quite a few Omni vans have been operating as school buses in violation of the norms.
In this case, Mr Sheikh was taken to RAK Marg police station for further inquiry. Senior police inspector Bhagwat Bansod of RAK Marg police station told The Asian Age, “These are Maruti Omni vans which cannot be termed even close to safe. The state rules allow vans that can accommodate 12 children to be used as school buses and not vans. Our boys were on routine patrol when they spotted the vehicle carrying more children than it could accommodate.”
SPI Bansod said that an inquiry had been initiated against the driver and the school management for permitting him to ferry the kids in such a small vehicle.
His license, too, has been seized, and is in the process of being cancelled.
