Gurgaon: With schools set to reopen after summer break from next week, the district administration has ordered a fresh round of inspections of school buses in July after recent audits found serious safety lapses that could put thousands of children at risk.The authorities had inspected 325 school buses between Jan 1 and May 26 this year and issued 56 challans for violations of the Surakshit School Vahan Policy. This prompted the district road safety committee (DRSC) to carry out another audit before the new term gathers pace.The earlier audit had found an alarming number of buses operating without GPS tracking systems. Many had non-functional or missing CCTV cameras, no horizontal safety grilles and broken emergency exit doors. In some buses, officials found illegal tinted glass windows, batteries installed without protective covers to prevent leaking of fumes, expired medicines in first-aid kits and no identification of the school for which they were plying.Some schools also failed to show police verification for the drivers and helpers on the buses. The authorities also found mandatory documents in several vehicles were out of order.Now, the road safety committee has directed the regional transport authority to circulate the safe schoolbus compliance checklist among every school through the district education officer and ensure that all institutions rectify the shortcomings before inspections begin again in July. The checklist has already been sent to all schools.Sub-divisional magistrate Sanjeev Singla said those found not following the rules will face strict action. “Along with the challan, we will also start registering FIRs against the schools and their transport agencies for violating norms,” he said.The safety drive extends beyond buses. Taking note of the fact that children remain vulnerable outside school gates, the committee has also instructed all road-owning agencies, including GMDA, MCG, NHAI and PWD, to upgrade road infrastructure around educational institutions.Officials have been asked to ensure warning signboards, zebra crossings, speed breakers or rumble strips, and road markings to create safer school zones and reduce the risk of accidents involving children. “SDMs have been directed to coordinate with the concerned agencies and monitor compliance in their respective jurisdictions,” said an official.The initiative is part of the district’s broader road safety strategy, which has become even more important after Gurgaon recorded 1,118 road crashes in 2025 — a 9% increase over the previous year. Pedestrians and two-wheeler users were found to be among the most vulnerable.
