In a major step towards enhancing the safety of school-going children—especially young girls—the Maharashtra government has announced a mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in school buses starting from the upcoming academic year. The move comes amid growing concerns over the safety of female students following recent incidents reported in schools across the state.
There are over three lakh schools across Maharashtra, many of which—especially English-medium institutions—operate private school buses for their students. As per the new directive, CCTV surveillance will be compulsory in all school buses to ensure continuous monitoring and to deter inappropriate or criminal behavior.
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) and traffic police will be tasked with ensuring compliance. Violations could attract fines exceeding ₹10,000. Additionally, schools must retain CCTV footage for a minimum of 30 days, enabling authorities to access evidence in the event of a complaint or incident.
The state transport corporation has also turned its attention toward enhancing women’s safety in public transport. Of the corporation’s 15,000 buses, nearly 3,000 aging buses will be phased out by next year. The remaining 12,000 buses in good operational condition will be equipped with four CCTV cameras each, with on-board monitoring systems to be activated within the next two months.
To facilitate this upgrade, the tender process will be conducted in May. Each bus will also be fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS) to allow real-time tracking of its location, thereby improving fleet management and passenger safety.
Following the Swargate bus accident, which raised serious questions about the safety of passengers, especially women, the transport authority has further resolved to install CCTV cameras, panic buttons, and GPS systems in all 12,000 existing state transport buses. These safety features are aimed at empowering passengers and enabling quicker response in emergency situations.
Additionally, 2,500 new state transport vehicles being inducted will come pre-equipped with GPS tracking, aligning with the government’s push for safer and smarter public transportation.
With these strong safety measures, Maharashtra aims to set a precedent in student and women's safety in both private and public transportation. The government has urged schools and transport operators to strictly comply with the new guidelines, highlighting that safety is a non-negotiable priority.