School Bus Operators Win Relief As Maharashtra Government Agrees To Roll Back E-Challans, Assures Support
School Bus Operators Win Relief As Maharashtra Government Agrees To Roll Back E-Challans, Assures Support
Mumbai, July 2, 2025 – In a major breakthrough for school transporters, the School Bus Owners Association, led by President Anil Garg, along with representatives from various transport associations, held a high-level meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Industries Minister Uday Samant, and the Transport Secretary today in Mumbai.
The meeting addressed long-standing concerns raised by school bus operators regarding traffic enforcement and e-challan issues. In a welcome move, all ministers and officials unanimously accepted the transporters’ demands.
Key Assurances and Outcomes:
- Immediate rollback of all e-challans issued to school buses.
- A Government Resolution (GR) to be released within a week to formally address the concerns raised.
- Directive to enforcement authorities to refrain from issuing challans:
- During student pickup and drop-off times
- For parking near schools during arrival and dispersal
- For night parking of school buses
- E-challans based only on vehicle number plates will not be considered valid unless supported by clear pictorial evidence of the violation.
The School Bus Owners Association has expressed deep appreciation to the state government and enforcement agencies for taking swift and empathetic action. President Anil Garg thanked the authorities for their support and for acknowledging the ground realities faced by transporters.
This resolution is expected to bring major relief to school bus operators across Maharashtra, who have been under pressure due to strict enforcement practices and financial penalties. The transport associations have also affirmed their willingness to work with the government in the future to resolve emerging challenges collaboratively.
