Punjab govt issues warning to private schools over transport issue

LAHORE: The Punjab government directed all the private schools across the province to comply with the Lahore High Court’s order regarding the purchase of buses for students, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Secretary of School Education, Khalid Nazeer Watto, has issued a warning to all private schools to submit an action plan for school transport arrangements by the end of the day, or risk cancellation of their registrations.

Khalid Nazeer Watto ordered all the schools to submit an action plan about the compliance with Lahore High Court’s order.

Secretary School Education 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.

A few days earlier, 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.

The orders were passed by LHC Justice Shahid Karim 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.