Orissa HC: Fee-Charging School Buses Must Follow Labour Law
Bhubaneswar, Jan 25: The Orissa High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by a Bhubaneswar-based CBSE school challenging directives from the Labour Department that required its bus service to register under the Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961.
The school, which operates 11 buses and collects transport fees from students, argued that its transport facility was incidental to education and should not be treated as a commercial undertaking.
However, Justice S.K. Panigrahi observed that charging fees for bus services constitutes “carriage for hire or reward,” thereby bringing the operation under the purview of the Act.
The ruling clarifies that profitability or scale is irrelevant—any fee-charging school bus service must comply with the Act’s provisions, which are designed to safeguard the welfare and working conditions of transport employees.
This judgment is expected to have wide implications for schools across Odisha, compelling them to ensure compliance with labour regulations in their transport operations.
