Girl’s fatal fall through school bus floor: RTO, ARTO suspended on UP transport minister’s directions

Transport commissioner Kinjal Singh said the suspensions were ordered for negligence and failure of supervisory duties.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday suspended a regional transport officer and an assistant regional transport officer in connection with an accident near Aligarh where a seven-year-old fell through a broken school bus floor and was crushed to death on the way home. The action was taken on the directions of transport minister Dayashankar Singh.

The incident took place on February 28. (SOURCED)

Champalal, the then regional inspector (Technical), Aligarh and currently assistant regional transport officer (Administration/Enforcement), Siddharthnagar, and Bandana Singh, regional transport officer (Enforcement), Aligarh, were placed under suspension with immediate effect. The orders were issued by Archana Agrawal, additional chief secretary (Transport).

Transport commissioner Kinjal Singh said the suspensions were ordered for negligence and failure of supervisory duties. An FIR has also been lodged against the school management.

For his part, the minister reiterated the chief minister’s instructions for intensified field inspections and round-the-clock control rooms to prevent road accidents.

The girl student died on February 28 after falling onto the road when the floor of the school bus collapsed at Nagla Sadhu village near Kasganj, bordering Aligarh. The bus, operated by Mount Dev International School, Dadon, had an expired insurance and permit.