LAHORE: The Punjab School Education Department on Wednesday sought a comprehensive action plan for school transport arrangements from all private schools, warning that failure to comply with the directive will prompt cancellation of their registration.
The government has directed all the private schools across the province to comply with the Lahore High Court’s order regarding the purchase of buses for students.
Punjab School Education Secretary Khalid Nazeer Watto, in a directive to all private schools, ordered all the schools to submit an action plan about the compliance with Lahore High Court’s order.
The School Education Secretary also asked the schools’ management to submit the total number of students and a list of buses to ensure that the court’s order is being followed.
He pledged to ensure compliance with the Lahore High Court’s order regarding the transport issue.
Last month, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered that all schools must re-register within one month, emphasizing that any school failing to comply with the school bus policy will have its registration suspended.
LHC’s Justice Shahid Karim issued the ruling while hearing petitions regarding the smog issues and steps to address it.
The LHC also directed the Director-General of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to review the city’s roads and present a traffic plan to address congestion, particularly in light of the smog issue.
Justice Shahid Karim acknowledged the government’s efforts to tackle smog but stressed the importance of effective enforcement. He stated, “The matter of environmental protection is extremely serious, and further delay should not be allowed.”
During the proceedings, Secretary of School Education Khalid Nazeer presented proposed rules for private schools. Under the new policy, schools will only be allowed to register if they operate buses, and all new schools will be required to provide transportation to their students.
Justice Karim remarked, “The issue of school buses is very serious,” and emphasized the urgency of implementing all the directives before the next season.
