Days after a 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a parked state transport bus at the Swargate depot, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to deploy female security guards in the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) buses which are designated for students of municipal schools. This initiative aims to enhance student security, emphasising a safe facility for the students.
Around 200 to 300 PMPML buses are used daily to transport students to and from PMC schools.
PMC Additional Commissioner Prithviraj BP said, “We are in discussion with the education department regarding the appointment of female security guards. The safety of students attending PMC schools is our utmost priority. In the upcoming budget, we will allocate funds for the safety of the students in PMC schools.”
While private school buses and vans already have female assistants for student safety, the buses transporting students from PMC schools currently do not.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Rajan Junwane, President, Pune Bus Association, said, “We are following the rules for the past five years. We already have female attendants in our buses and adhere to the regulations. However, PMC itself does not have rules in place. The government typically becomes active when any untoward incidents happen. They implement rules and strict measures, but all this fades away after a month. They simply strike when the iron is hot. Today, everybody is talking about safety in buses, so they will come up with all these ideas, and after a month, nobody will care. No audits take place, bus depots have become a haven for drunkards, there is garbage all around the bus stands, and there are no CCTV cameras installed. Right now, they will address all these issues, but after a few months, things will go back to how they were. Nobody really cares about the security of students.”
The state government formed a committee after the sexual assault incident in Badlapur. The court expanded the committee in September 2024 and appointed seven members to it. The special committee, headed by two retired judges, submitted a report to the Bombay High Court suggesting recommendations for the safety of students in the school. The report recommended that the school should take responsibility for the safe travel of students travelling in school buses from home to school, and some other suggestions were also been given. The court ordered the government to clarify its position on the report within two weeks.
The court had directed the committee to review the government decisions, guidelines and circulars issued from time to time regarding the safety of children while in school or premises, and while travelling in buses. It had also directed to suggest recommendations for the effective implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and similar laws, safety of children in pre-primary or kindergarten and related measures.
“School bus drivers currently carry out the responsibility of transporting students from school to their homes. There is nothing new in the recommendation made by the special committee. However, the government should set some rules on how much responsibility should be given to school bus drivers. Otherwise, no one will take the initiative to do school bus business in the future,” added Junwane.
