Two-door school bus not feasible: Operators

Despite Panvel blaze, bus operators are still to adhere to new norms

Around 110 school buses from Vashi, Thane and Andheri have been booked by the RTO for various offences. However, proposed solutions by the state aren't being met with much enthusiasm.

Even as the Secretary of Transport's deadline for two-door buses creeps nearer, schools and operators both are of the opinion that the idea is unfeasible. The president of the 340-member Schoolbus Owners Association has insisted that operators were being unnecessarily harassed. "I don't understand why we are targeted while rickshaws and vans who also carry children are let off scot-free. We did meet with the Mumbai transport commissioner regarding a two-door bus. They wanted us to have one door where the emergency exit windows are. This is not feasible."

One of the officials from Millat School, Jogeshwari, where four students died last year after leaking LPG sets in the school van caught fire, said, "You can announce anything, but you have to see the feasibility of it. Having two-door buses have not helped us, but have actually increased our concerns. If an attendant is not there on another door, there are possibilities of accidents by a student falling out from the rear door. We use BEST buses with two doors, but we also need two conductors then. This has increased the cost and is unaffordable to parents."

Gool Ghadiali, principal of Gopal Sharma International School, Powai, said, "We have 15 buses with one door. It's not feasible to have two-door buses right now, hence we've hired more supervisors."

M P Sharma, Director of G D Somani School, Cuffe Parade, said, "We will keep two conductors instead of two-door buses as we already have one-door buses for our students. We keep a constant check on the bus internal machinery to avoid any hazards."