The Maharashtra government is set to introduce a regulatory framework for private school buses transporting students, starting from the upcoming academic year. A one-member committee, chaired by retired transport officer Jitendra Patil, has been established to draft a comprehensive report within the next month, as per the directives of Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.

Thousands of school buses operated by private organisations facilitate student transportation across the state. However, the transport department has received multiple complaints regarding financial exploitation by certain operators. In response to these grievances, a high-level meeting was convened today at the transport department under the chairmanship of Minister Sarnaik. During the meeting, it was decided that the newly formed committee would not only draft regulations for school buses but also review the recommendations made by the Madan Committee in 2011, which sought to curb arbitrary practices among auto-rickshaw drivers transporting students. Based on the committee’s findings, a formal set of rules will be implemented from the forthcoming academic session.