Guj govt bans school picnic buses from plying during night

In the wake of two recent bus accidents in which eight students were killed and several others injured, the Gujarat government on Wednesday banned school picnic buses from plying during night hours.

The decision was taken at the state Cabinet meeting held in Gandhinagar, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said after the meeting.

Two buses carrying school children met with accident (in separate incidents) while plying during night time in the last few days, he noted.

"To avoid such mishaps in future, our government has decided to impose a ban on such buses from plying between 11 pm and 6 am with children on board," Patel told reporters.

He said the restriction was being imposed while taking into consideration the safety of children.

"Now, bus operators need to stop the journey during this time period and make lodging and boarding arrangements for children," Patel said.

On December 22, eight students were killed and 17 others seriously injured when a bus in which they were returning after enjoying a picnic fell into a 200-ft gorge in Dang district.

Two adults in the bus were also killed in the mishap.

On Tuesday, one person was killed and 24 school students were injured when an overcrowded bus returning from a picnic in Madhya Pradesh met with an accident near Godhra town in Panchmahal district.

The private luxury bus, hired by an Ahmedabad-based school for picnic, fell into a roadside pit after the driver lost control over the vehicle.