Transportation of school children: HC orders notice on PIL

Madras High Court today ordered issue of notice to the Tamil Nadu Government on a PIL seeking a direction for constituting school-level safety committees for strict implementation of rules related to vehicles carrying school children.
First Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal and Justice M Sathyanarayanan ordered notice to state Chief Secretary, Commissioner and Secretary of Transport Department and Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Chennai and School Education Secretary returnable by September 16.
In his PIL, advocate C E Pratap submitted,despite the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court regarding the safety norms to be adhered by vehicles that carry school children, the same was not being complied with by autorickshaws and maxi cabs plying here.

He alleged that transport authorities and the traffic police were not frequently conducting checks and it had become a common sight of overcrowded autorickshaws with school children carrying heavy bags.
Even though Tamil Nadu framed the draft guidelines, which came into force from October 1, 2012, it was unfortunate that it had not notified as a suitable legislation, he said.
Since there was no response to his representations seeking certain information from authorities over the steps taken by them to prevent these irregularities and steps taken in implementation of the orders of Supreme Court and High Court, he was constrained to file the PIL, he contended.