The city’s school transport network continues to grapple with persistent safety lapses, with more than 10,000 buses and vans facing penalties in under three years—an average of nearly ten violations every single day. Data accessed through an RTI filed by activist Abhay Kolarkar reveals that non-compliance in vehicles responsible for carrying thousands of schoolchildren has become a routine affair rather than an exception.
According to a media report in a local daily, between January 1, 2023, and September 30, 2025, police booked 10,186 school transport vehicles for various breaches. A zone-wise breakup highlights the scale of the problem: Sitabuldi alone accounted for a staggering 6,064 violations, collecting ₹9.4 lakh in fines. Lakadganj followed with 907 penalised vehicles and four non-fatal accidents, while Ajni booked 681 vehicles, imposing fines worth ₹2.3 lakh. In other zones, enforcement figures were also significant—Sakkardara (787 cases), MIDC (407), Sonegaon (328), Kamptee (224) and Cotton Market (153).
However, the data also throws up an unusual contradiction. Despite such widespread violations, only Sadar, Ajni, and Lakadganj reported any school-transport accidents during this period. All other zones recorded zero accidents, raising questions about the nature of violations, the effectiveness of enforcement, and whether penalties are translating into safer travel for children.
Sadar zone recorded the worst outcomes, logging eight school-transport accidents in 2025 alone, leaving one schoolgirl and two others dead, while six children were injured. Ajni reported one accident each in 2024 and 2025, both resulting in injuries, while Lakadganj documented four non-fatal mishaps. The striking absence of accident data from all other zones has raised doubts about monitoring lapses, incomplete documentation, and the overall strength of the city’s school-transport safety audit system.
Traffic officials say the bulk of violations stem from overloading, absence of trained attendants, poorly maintained vehicles, tampered speed governors, missing CCTV cameras and emergency exits, and drivers operating without proper licences or background verification. They added that private vans — many functioning outside any formal institutional framework — remain the biggest offenders.
Adding to the inconsistencies, Indora zone submitted only fine-recovery figures — ₹1 lakh (2023), ₹94,950 (2024) and ₹30,050 (2025) — while failing to disclose how many vehicles were actually penalised.
Parents and child-safety activists argue that with violations averaging nearly 10 a day, spot checks and fines have lost their deterrent effect. They maintain that only coordinated action involving the police, RTO, and the education department can address the widening gaps in Nagpur’s school-transport safety system.
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