INDORE: Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Monday issued notices to transport department and district collector on a petition alleging that the due process of law under the Motor Vehicle Act had not been followed while prescribing new rules for school buses in the district.Justice Prakash Shrivastava issued the notice on the petition moved by Regional Association of Schools Affiliated to Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations ( CISCE ) Board Society. He fixed the matter for hearing on February 23.“We have challenged the letter written by the RTO and the collector on the grounds that the due process of law has not been followed, while introducing amendments in provisions of Motor Vehicle Act like compulsory seat belts in the school buses,” Advocate Abhay Jain, representing the petitioner society said.According the petitioner, there are duly promulgated provisions for school buses under the Motor Vehicle Act as well as relevant orders passed by the Supreme Court in the matter on school bus safety. However, the district collector and RTO have imposed fresh guidelines without following the legal procedure.“Our second ground is that the chief minister and the collector have no right to amend the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act. Only the RTO officials can do so, that too after following the due process of law,” Jain added.The petition has sought relief that the petitioner association schools must not be pressurised to comply with the additional norms. It has stated that they are abiding by all the norms set by the Supreme Court.The affidavit, which the schools have been directed to fill, includes a list of 25 conditions that need to be fulfilled in the bus service of a school, for being granted permit. These conditions include speed governors to limit speed at 40 kmph, seat belts for all students, mobile phones for all drivers etc.

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