Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure regular meetings of district school vehicle safety committees and the constitution of school transport safety committees in all schools across the state.

A bench of Justices Alok Mathur and Brij Raj Singh in Lucknow issued the directions on Thursday while hearing a PIL filed by Giridhar Gopal, secretary of the Gomti River Bank Residents Association. The matter will next be heard on September 28.

The court directed the chief secretary to issue necessary instructions to ensure that district school vehicle safety committees meet regularly and monitor the constitution and functioning of school transport safety committees in individual schools, according to the order.

During the hearing, the court was informed that the Uttar Pradesh Motor Vehicles Rules contain specific provisions governing the operation and safety of vehicles transporting schoolchildren. Under the rules, transport vehicles carrying schoolchildren to public places are required to have the prescribed permits.

The court was informed that school vans are required to have an agreement with a parent or a group of parents. The agreement is to be submitted by the school to the competent authority, on the basis of which the permit is issued.

The Transport Commissioner informed the court that most school vans do not have the permits required under the rules.

The court was also informed that the rules provide for the constitution of district school vehicle safety committees headed by the district magistrate and comprising officials from various departments as well as representatives of the school transport sector, according to the order.

Similarly, every school is required to constitute a school transport safety committee. However, the court was told that such committees are currently not functioning in any school.

Taking note of the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Rules, the high court directed the chief secretary to ensure regular meetings of the district school vehicle safety committees and monitor the constitution and functioning of school transport safety committees.

The district magistrates have also been directed to monitor the constitution of the committees and ensure they discharge their assigned responsibilities, the order stated.

Each district magistrate will have to submit information regarding compliance with the court's directions within one month. The bench directed the government counsel to thereafter file a compliance affidavit on the basis of reports received from all districts.

The bench also directed that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) be impleaded as parties to the PIL proceedings, so that statutory safety requirements relating to schoolchildren are also complied with by schools affiliated with these boards.

This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.