The Government of Maharashtra on July 16, 2026, issued the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Regulations for School Buses) (First Amendment) Rules, 2026 to further amend the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Regulations for School Buses) Rules, 2011.
The following amendments have been stated:
• In rule 5 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Regulations for School Buses) Rules, 2011, after sub-rule (2), the following sub-rule shall be added, namely :—
“(3) The School Transport Committee shall,–
(a) verify that the fare rates for school transport vehicles are in accordance with the fare schedule specified by the Regional Transport Authority, from time to time ;
(b) address and resolve grievances of parents relating to school transport services, safety and the fare ;
(c) submit quarterly compliance reports relating to school transport services, safety and fare matters to the District School Bus Safety Committee.”.
• After rule 6 of the principal rules, the following rules shall be added, namely :—
“6A. Regulation of Fare.–
(1) The Regional Transport Authority shall fix the base fare per kilometre per student for school bus, education institution bus and school van after considering directions issued by the State Government under section 67 of the Act, from time to time.
(2) The fare collected on monthly or quarterly basis shall not be less than ten per cent. or more than ten per cent. of that of the fare fixed by the Regional Transport Authority.
6B. Appointment and records of school transport staff.–
(1) The transport operator and school management shall ensure that every driver, lady attendant or any other person designated as transport staff is duly appointed in writing by the owner or school authority, in case bus owned by school after due background verification and medical fitness certification and is issued an official appointment letter.
(2) The school management and school bus operator shall maintain complete records of all transport staff, including verification reports, appointment letters or documents, training records, and medical fitness certificates, and such records shall be made available on demand for inspection by the Regional Transport Officers and Police.
6C. Attendance record and supervision of students using school transport.–
(1) Every school and bus or van operator shall maintain a daily attendance record of every student using school bus, education institution bus or school van, including the time of boarding and de-boarding of the vehicle.
(2) For the students of Pre-primary and Primary classes (up to Standard five) additional supervision shall be provided on every trip by a lady attendant or any other designated staff.
6D. Safety and support for children with disabilities or special needs.–
(1) The school management and the transport operator shall ensure that children with disabilities or special needs are provided with appropriate support, including the appointment of a trained attendant, accessibility features in school bus, education institution bus and school van and where necessary the presence of a parent or attendant during transit. The accessibility features shall be examined during annual vehicle fitness checks if required.
(2) The presence of a teacher, counsellor, or parent during the transit may be arranged wherever necessary.”
• After rule 10 of the principal rules, the following rule shall be added, namely :–
“10A. Digital safety compliance for school transport vehicles.–
(1) Every school bus or educational institution bus or school van shall be equipped with a Digital Safety Monitoring System for the purpose of enhancing the safety of students and ensuring realtime traceability.
(2) The Digital Safety Monitoring System shall have the following features conforming to the specifications not inferior to the Automotive Industry Standards (AIS)-004, (AIS)-140 specified by the Central Government and having ARAI or ICAT approval namely :–
(a) installing a vehicle location tracking device ;
(b) integration with the State-level monitoring platform ;
(c) installing a closed-circuit television or video surveillance systems ;
(d) use of any certified mobile or web-based application providing live vehicle tracking, digital attendance, automated alerts, and role-based access to parents, school authorities, and enforcement agencies ;
(e) use any other advanced technology approved by the Transport Department.”.
(f) A feed of the CCTV footage should be made available to parents through mobile app and when required to RTO officials or education department or police department:
Provided that a back up of footage of minimum of thirty days shall be kept by owner or school authority if it’s the owner of the school bus.
[Notification No. MVR-0625/C.R. 347/Tra-2]
