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Education
Three Buses and Three 'Magic' Vehicles Seized in Garoth, Madhya Pradesh in School Transport Probe
✍️ Free Press Journal
🗓 02 Sep 2026, 02:29 AM
👁 135
Authorities in Garot, Madhya Pradesh, confiscated three school buses and three unregistered 'magic' vans during a crackdown on illegal student transport.
Garot, a town in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, witnessed a targeted enforcement operation on Tuesday as police seized three school buses and three so‑called 'magic' vehicles that were being used to ferry students without proper authorization. The vehicles were stopped at a checkpoint set up near a local school after a routine inspection flagged irregularities in their registration documents.
The seized buses were found to be operating without the mandatory safety certificates and without compliance to the state's school transport norms, which require periodic fitness checks and driver qualifications. The 'magic' vehicles, a colloquial term for privately hired vans often used for school commutes, were similarly undocumented and lacked the required permits.
Police officials said the action forms part of a broader state‑wide initiative to curb unsafe transport practices that have previously led to accidents involving schoolchildren. They have warned operators that any future violations will attract stringent penalties, including revocation of licenses.
The department of school education in Madhya Pradesh has been urged to tighten monitoring mechanisms and to work closely with transport authorities to ensure that only certified vehicles are allowed to carry students. Parents in the area have been advised to verify the credentials of any vehicle that picks up their children.
The seized assets will be held pending legal proceedings, and the owners are expected to appear before the district magistrate to answer charges of illegal operation and non‑compliance with safety regulations.
The seized buses were found to be operating without the mandatory safety certificates and without compliance to the state's school transport norms, which require periodic fitness checks and driver qualifications. The 'magic' vehicles, a colloquial term for privately hired vans often used for school commutes, were similarly undocumented and lacked the required permits.
Police officials said the action forms part of a broader state‑wide initiative to curb unsafe transport practices that have previously led to accidents involving schoolchildren. They have warned operators that any future violations will attract stringent penalties, including revocation of licenses.
The department of school education in Madhya Pradesh has been urged to tighten monitoring mechanisms and to work closely with transport authorities to ensure that only certified vehicles are allowed to carry students. Parents in the area have been advised to verify the credentials of any vehicle that picks up their children.
The seized assets will be held pending legal proceedings, and the owners are expected to appear before the district magistrate to answer charges of illegal operation and non‑compliance with safety regulations.