Administration acts tough on school buses in Punjab: 3,621 challans issued, 31 vehicles impounded
Under the Safe School Vehicle Policy, the Punjab government has checked around 14,000 buses and taken action against violators.
A special campaign is being run by the government to ensure the safe travel of students in Punjab. Over the past one and a half years, 31 buses ignoring rules have been grounded, while challans have been issued for thousands of vehicles.
State Social Security and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said on Monday that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, giving top priority to children's lives, the Safe School Vehicle Policy is being implemented with full alertness.
According to the data shared by the minister, from 2025 to September 2026, teams completed the inspection of 13,995 buses. Finding flaws in them, fines were imposed on 3,621 vehicles and 31 vehicles were impounded in police stations.
Giving details for the year 2025, she stated that 8,325 buses were inspected by checking teams of the districts. During that year, challans were issued for 2,026 buses and 24 buses that did not meet the standards were grounded.
Continuing this, between January and September in the year 2026, 5,670 more vehicles were examined. Out of these, challans were issued for 1,595 vehicles on charges of violation and 7 buses were impounded.
Dr. Baljit Kaur instructed deputy commissioners and concerned officials that no negligence related to children's safety should be tolerated. She called upon school managements and transporters to comply with all parameters and immediately report any lapse to parents.
Key developments
- 13,995 school vehicles inspected across Punjab from 2025 to September 2026.
- 3,621 vehicles challaned and 31 impounded for failing to meet safety conditions.
- During the inspection of 8,325 buses in 2025, 2,026 challans issued and 24 buses grounded.
- In the first nine months of 2026, 5,670 vehicles checked, 1,595 challans and 7 impounded.
