Schools Demand separate buses for children
Posted on: 12/Dec/2012 10:52:49 AM
With the increased regulation of school buses, many schools have started to phase out their transportation. The onus now lies on Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to provide safe and affordable transport for students. Schools said that in the next academic year the state will have to increase bus routes. Schools and parents suggest that they bring in `student special` buses.
Part from these problems Tamilnadu Transport department said that MTC runs 45 buses exclusively for school students and 70 women-only buses. "It`s time to revive the `women and students only` buses. Earlier they used to cover all the women`s colleges. Now they are quite rare. It`s sad to see students squeeze into regular buses," said head of Navabharat Matriculation School P B Prince Gajendra Babu. He suggested that the government run a cut service buses covering three or four schools to prevent students traveling short distances from crowding buses covering long routes.
School heads said government has data on number of government and aided schools and students in an area and could plan student specials. "Instead of giving free bus passes, the government could give students free bus rides at particular times," said S Arumainathan, president, Federation of Tamil Nadu Students` Parents` Welfare Association. The only solution is to implement the neighborhood school concept, where students attend schools within a one to five km radius. This will make getting to school less difficult.
