Fatal school bus crash reveals serious regulatory failures and owner rush for compliance

Nagpur: There were alarming lapses in regulatory compliance of the bus which crashed while carrying students from Saraswati Vidyalaya near Pendhri Ghat in Bor Tiger Reserve, claiming the life of a student. The bus, owned by Vaibhav Wakle, did not have a valid license and had outstanding taxes, besides other outstanding requirements. Surprisingly, the owner paid ₹1 lakh in outstanding taxes and managed to get a pollution under control (PUC) certificate within hours of the accident.
The accident occurred around 9:15 a.m. when the students were going to Bor Dam for a picnic. The vehicle, registration number MH-40-Y-7350, was one of six buses arranged by HRS Hikers through Shubham Travels, owned by Gopal Zariya, for the trip. For the past four days, the same bus had been used to transport different groups of students, with students of Std IX and X leaving for Tuesday’s outing when the accident took place.
Nagpur Rural RTO Vijay Chavhan told TOI that the bus did not comply with essential regulatory requirements. Even though it had cruise control, it lacked a valid special license, road tax clearance and the necessary PUC certificate. The certificate of fitness was valid until December 5.
Among the regulatory violations, Chavhan noted that road tax on vehicles expired on January 31, 2024 and despite this, payments were only made after the accident. The payment of the overdue taxes was made online at 12:10 p.m. on the day of the accident, just a few hours after the tragedy. Additionally, the owner applied for a manual permit after being unable to obtain one online, but the application was blocked due to the ongoing investigation into the accident.
In a bid to meet legal requirements after the accident, Wakle also rushed to obtain a PUC certificate from JK Batteries, a PUC center located in East Nagpur. Shockingly, the PUC certificate was issued within hours of the accident, raising questions about the functioning of the city’s PUC centers, which issue mandatory certificates without the physical presence of vehicles.
In addition to operating the bus without the necessary permits for several months, Wakle had a pending memo amounting to ₹40,000 dating back to October 10, 2023, reflecting long-standing negligence in maintaining proper documents. Two other challans from Solapur RTO and Borivali RTO were pending against Wakle.
A similar rush to rectify the documents was seen for the other buses in the convoy, which were not involved in the accident. A bus owner managed to get a permit from the RTO deputy office (East) soon after the accident. However, RTO MP Avinash Raut said he would share the update on Wednesday.
Chavhan noted, “The owner’s attempts to cut costs by avoiding taxes and permit fees ultimately compromised safety and caused public outrage. » The incident has raised important questions about the responsibility of the school and third-party organizers, HRS Hikers and Shubham Travels, to ensure that the transport services they engage meet regulatory standards. It remains unclear whether the school or company checked the bus documents before arranging the trip.
The incident sparked a wider debate over school transport safety, with parents and campaigners calling for stricter enforcement of transport regulations, including tougher inspections and penalties for violators. TOI has consistently highlighted the need to strengthen security measures in buses carrying school children, urging authorities to prioritize the welfare of students.