Share responsibility for lady supervisors, bus owners tell schools

MUMBAI: Less than a week after a four-year-old student of a prominent Juhu school was molested by the school bus conductor, the School Bus Owners' Association (SBOA) wants schools to share the onus of ensuring female supervisors are present in school buses.

"We have informed all bus contractors to in turn inform schools that on days when the lady attendant doesn't report to work, they should send an ayah or a female teacher in that bus," said Anil Garg, SBOA president. The contractors will also tell schools that if the latter can't arrange for teachers or ayahs to travel with the kids, then children should be asked to remain in school and parents informed to pick them up.

"According to the Supreme Court order, lady attendants are supposed to be hired by schools, not bus contractors. Schools are making it a habit to push all responsibilities on to our shoulders and this needs to stop," added Garg. He also blamed the government for not taking stricter action against several private vehicles and tempos ferrying school children without any permits or attendants. "These vehicles go around breaking rules while we are blamed for not following rules. The government needs to make a decision soon because the lives of many children are at stake here," he said.