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Maharashtra RTO Bidkar suspended over Sept 12, 2025 school-van crash that killed driver and student
Regional Transport Officer Kiran Bidkar, who was recently praised by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for road safety initiatives, has been suspended in connection with a September 12, 2025 accident involving a school van and school bus in Mumbai that killed a driver and a student. The government says the van lacked a fitness certificate and Bidkar’s office showed dereliction of duty, with disciplinary proceedings initiated. The suspension follows Gadkari’s May 2 commendation and comes after earlier suspensions of other RTO staff in the preceding days.
Why It Matters
The case underscores questions of accountability in road-safety governance and demonstrates how praise from a central minister can coincide with local disciplinary actions. It highlights ongoing scrutiny of transport administration and enforcement in Maharashtra.
Timeline
3 Events
Suspension of Regional Transport Officer Kiran Bidkar
May 7, 2026
Bidkar was suspended with immediate effect by a government resolution from the Maharashtra Home Department under the Maharashtra Civil Services Rules, 1979, in connection with the September 12, 2025 accident. His headquarters during suspension will be the office of the Transport Commissioner in Mumbai. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated. He is the fourth and senior-most RTO official to be suspended in less than two days; earlier suspensions included two motor vehicle inspectors and an assistant regional transport officer.
Gadkari letter praising Bidkar's road-safety work in Nagpur
May 2, 2026
A letter from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari dated May 2, 2026 praised Bidkar for road safety awareness and enforcement in Nagpur, citing campaigns on traffic awareness, distribution of road-safety booklets, training for school-bus and auto-rickshaw drivers, helmet rallies, and strict e-challan enforcement as contributing to a decline in road accidents and fatalities.
Accident involving school van and school bus in Mumbai
September 12, 2025
A school van and a school bus collided in Mumbai, resulting in the death of a vehicle driver and a student. The incident prompted discussion in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. It was alleged that the school van was operating without a valid fitness certificate and that Kiran Bidkar, as head of the Regional Transport Office, showed dereliction of duty, negligence, and laxity in overseeing transport compliance.