KOCHI: The CBSE school managements have raised apprehensions over the order issued by the Transport Department directing all schools to change the colour of school buses to golden yellow. Currently, all school buses in the state are painted cream yellow.
According to Indira Rajan, general secretary, Kerala CBSE School Managements Association, the order has affected majority of the schools in the state since the rule was mandated only recently.
“By then, lot many schools had completed fitness check of buses in workshops and most of the school buses had been repainted with the original colour. Many schools were notified only at a later stage. If these school managements have to repaint their buses golden yellow, it will cost a large deal. Also, it cannot be implemented by June 1 when the new academic year begins,” she said.
Out of nearly 13,000 school buses of CBSE schools in the state, only 40 per cent have been painted golden yellow. “If the government issues an order and makes it mandatory, it is their responsibility to inform school managements or the associations concerned. We had not received any intimation so far,” said an official with a school in the city.
The Kerala CBSE School Managements Association has urged the transport department to extent the time limit for repainting the buses.
TPM Ibrahim Khan, president, CBSE School Managements Association, said that a letter will be addressed to the Transport Commissioner demanding that the officials be lax on those schools who are yet to repaint the buses. “We will seek for time so that the school buses can be repainted by the next vacations,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking on this, officials associated with the Motor Vehicle Department said that the circular was issued since April 1 and it was notified during the time when the school buses were taken for CF tests during this vacations.
“However, there are no orders that it has to be completed by June 1. We will be lax since we realise that not all schools have completed the procedure,” the official said.