The Delhi government's transport department is considering tweaking guidelines to allow registration of old vehicles as school cabs provided they meet fitness and other parameters, official sources said on Thursday.
This is being considered after the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) decided to stop providing buses to schools in the city from the new academic session because of the growing demand of its fleet for public transport.
"Presently, only new vehicles can be registered as school cabs. However, a large number of vehicles are being used for the purpose without due registration with the department," said a source in the transport department.
If the old vans and cabs are allowed to be registered as school cabs, it will help ensure better safety of children as such vehicles will have to undergo fitness tests and fulfil other safety measures, sources said.
Presently, a large number of vans and cabs that are hired by schools and parents do not fulfil such mandatory requirements, they said. Over 9,000 vehicles are registered as school cabs in the city, while a far larger number operate without any formal registration with the department, officials said.
The school cab policy of 2007 allowed private vehicles, less than 15 years old, to be registered as school cabs in compliance with various safety measures. However after 2015, the Delhi government changed the guidelines and stopped the registration of such vehicles as school cabs, they added.
(With PTI inputs)
