School bus seized by ARTO for lacking documents in northern India, outrage erupts over children left in heat
by Aditi VermaA school bus filled with children and teachers in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh was seized by ARTO officials during a routine inspection for missing insurance and fitness certificates. Chaos ensued when the bus was left standing in the heat, leaving the children exhausted and dehydrated.
The incident took place at Garwara Mod near Bihar Ganj in Jaunpur district on September 23.
Visuals showed on the roadside, a school bus filled with children and teachers stood parked under the blazing sun for inspection. The children looked visibly distressed, tired, and uncomfortable due to the heat, with sweat dripping from their faces. Some of them were fanning themselves with their hands, while others sat slumped in their seats, clearly exhausted. Teachers were trying to comfort the kids, but the oppressive heat made it difficult. A police officer stood nearby, observing the situation, his posture firm yet concerned, as he monitored the inspection process. The harsh sunlight cast long shadows, amplifying the sense of discomfort.
On Monday afternoon, at Garwara Mod, during a routine check of school vehicles, ARTO enforcement officer Dilip Gupta halted a bus from JTS Public School, Bihar Ganj, for inspection. The bus was found to be lacking fitness, insurance, and permit documents since 2021. The bus, carrying schoolchildren and teachers, was subsequently taken to the ARTO office in Shukulpur.
Upon arrival, the bus was parked under the scorching sun, causing the children and teachers inside to suffer from extreme heat and dehydration. The sight of children drenched in sweat and visibly distressed led to protests from bystanders, one of whom claimed to be a parent of a student on the bus. Several others joined in, expressing anger at the ARTO staff for keeping the bus parked in direct sunlight.
The situation escalated as people recorded videos and offered water and biscuits to the children. Police personnel arrived to manage the situation and eventually, the children were sent home in the same bus. ARTO Gupta explained that using an unfit vehicle for transporting children violates safety regulations, and appropriate action would be taken. Meanwhile, the school administration lodged a complaint against the protesters with the local police.
Santosh Kumar Mishra, the principal of JTS Public School, explained that the bus had been parked due to a lack of students, but was reintroduced after enrollment numbers increased. While they had applied for updated documents, the bus was seized before the paperwork was completed.
In a related development, former BJP MLA Brijesh Mishra Saurabh accused the ARTO of ignoring overloaded vehicles, filing a complaint with the Transport Minister and Commissioner.