To ensure the safety of students travelling in school vans and buses, the traffic police and regional transport office (RTO) will begin a strict checking of school vehicles on June 18 in Ahmedabad. 

Over this, the Ahmedabad School Vardhy Association decided to observe a strike on June 18 protesting against the strict actions of the government after four years.

The school van association’s chairperson Dharmendra Brahmbhatt said, “The government is not issuing permits to school vans. We have not been getting permits for the past four years and despite repeated requests to the government, we have not been getting permits.”

“After years of school vans running without a permit, the government has raised the issue now. On one hand, the government is sluggish in issuing permits while on the other hand, it is issuing a new SOP, which the association does not accept,” he added

The association is demanding that the government should give enough time for the drivers to get permits. The association has demanded at least 15 days to get permits before a strict check.

The association has decided on an indefinite strike by all school van associations in the state if the vehicles do not get permits from the legal RTOs. They have claimed that authorities are charging a ₹17,000 fine for a school van running without a permit.

More than 80,000 school transport vehicles are operating under association in Gujarat, including 15,000 in Ahmedabad.

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