New Delhi: A day after a school bus ran over a 12-year-old girl in Majlis Park, Delhi Police said on Wednesday that on-the-spot challans issued to school buses for traffic violations rose by nearly 45% in the first six months of this year compared with the corresponding period last year.According to Delhi Traffic Police’s data, 1,644 on-the-spot challans were issued to school buses between Jan 1 and June 30, 2026, up from 1,138 during the same period in 2025 — an increase of 506 challans.Improper or obstructive parking accounted for the bulk of the violations, with 1,379 challans in 2026, almost double the 699 recorded during the corresponding period last year.Joint CP (traffic) Sanjay Tyagi said the primary reason behind illegal and obstructive parking was the lack of adequate parking and holding areas on many school premises. As a result, buses queue or park on public roads during pick-up and drop-off hours, leading to congestion and traffic disruptions around schools. Police said they took action regularly.The violation of Supreme Court guidelines governing the operation of school buses emerged as the second most common offence. They include failure to drive in the designated lane, stopping at unauthorised locations instead of designated bus stops, and dangerous overtaking. Such violations more than doubled, increasing from 16 cases in the first half of 2025 to 37 this year.The data also showed a sharp rise in no-entry violations by school buses. Challans for such violations tripled from seven in the first six months of 2025 to 21 in 2026.Additional CP (traffic) Dinesh Gupta said enforcement drives had been intensified against school buses while awareness programmes were also being conducted for drivers, reminding them that they were responsible for the safety of children. Drivers are instructed not to exceed the prescribed speed limit of 40kmph, remain in the designated lane, avoid overtaking four-wheeled vehicles, pick up and drop students only at authorised bus stops, ensure buses are not overcrowded, and move the vehicle only after every child has safely boarded or alighted.Anil Chhikara, former deputy transport commissioner of Delhi, attributed the rise to a combination of operational pressures and inadequate infrastructure around schools. He said school bus drivers had to adhere to fixed pick-up times at multiple locations with little room for delays caused by traffic congestion and long signal cycles. Chaotic traffic outside schools, largely caused by private vehicles during pick-up and drop-off hours, aggravates the problem, he added. “In an attempt to stay on schedule, some drivers end up jumping red lights, speeding or violating lane discipline,” he said.Chhikara suggested that govt create safer school zones by introducing one-way traffic systems, dedicated bus bays, foot overbridges, subways and better traffic management.
