The Ranchi district administration on Monday once again sent reminders to 40 ICSE and CBSE schools in the capital that are yet to implement the mandatory dress code for their 1,200 bus drivers and 600 conductors.

If the cradles fail to explain within a week why they haven't followed orders and skipped two deadlines in the past month, the district transport office will be free to impose fines and may also cancel driving licences.

Deputy commissioner Manoj Kumar and district transport officer (DTO) Nagendra Paswan took these decisions to tighten the noose around defiant schools who apart from enforcing the dress code - navy blue shirt and trousers for drivers, and grey shirt and pants for conductors - were also supposed to install GPS on buses by July 15.

On July 18, a crackdown was launched against school buses that didn't adhere to the guidelines following which two CBSE institutions - Sapphire International School, Hardag, and Manan Vidya, Dumardaga - submitted detailed report of implementation of the order along with pictures of drivers /conductors in uniforms and with IDs. Names, numbers and addresses of the bus staff were also registered in the report.

DTO Paswan said they stopped the crackdown midway because some principals sought 15 more days to enforce the dress code. "We are really surprised that schools didn't honour the extended July 31 deadline as well. If they do not reply to our current reminder within a week, we shall resume our crackdown," he said.

Paswan added that under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, they could cancel licences of school bus drivers and impose spot penalty of Rs 500.

Incidentally, the Ranchi administration has been trying to enforce the dress code since April, when it started the first round of meetings. However, schools have been having their way with the lame excuse that uniforms for 1,800 drivers and conductors couldn't be stitched in so little time.

On why his administration was being lenient in the face of repeated defiance, deputy commissioner Kumar said they needed to check with schools what hurdles the latter were confronting in executing the orders. "We will resume action after a week."

A.K. Singh, principal of CBSE-affiliated Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, said he had received the fresh reminder. "We have replied that uniforms have been stitched for 16 drivers and conductors. They should be wearing it from this month," he said.

Singh added that they had convened a meeting of the school management committee on GPS installation.

Principal Samita Sinha of Surendranath Centenary School, also affiliated to CBSE, conceded they had missed the deadlines. "The dress code will be enforced soon, but GPS may take time," she said.