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  • Category: General

    Overloading of school buses in kerala - A Cause Of Concern

    Overloading of school buses have become a very serious issue. This should be given proper and immediate attention. The incident that happened in thrissur the other day which left 60 students hurt should prompt the officials to take necessary action. It was God's grace and sheer luck that averted a major accident. The mini bus with an actual capacity of 30 or 35 was carrying around 70 students when the mishap occurred. It is not just the mini bus but even the autorickshaw wallas are doing the same thing without any precautionary measures by carrying more than 10-12 students. By doing so these people tend to forget the fact that kids who are as tender as 4 years are travelling in their vehicle or you can even say that they purposely forget such things. Even though the fitness certificate of the ill fated vehicle that met with the accident in thrissur was cancelled, it is better to be careful rather than taking chances. The officials should act and they not hesitate in doing so. Let us not forget the THATTEKKAD incident and why play with the lives of our future generation?
  • #4136
    Mr Vinay jaykumar, you have raised an issue of concern and relevant today. It is a common sight in all the towns and cities to find overloaded vehicles with school children.

    The children and their bags are filled in the vehicle like the cattle or goods are being transported. The children should have peace to concentrate on their studies. They are put to horrible inconveniences before their reaching the school and after the school day is over. Both the times are important to them. When they reach school, if they are fresh they can concentrate better in their lessons at school and revisions at home.

    The parents, the school authorities and the transport authorities and the police are all turning blind eye to this fact.It is high time the Government become strict in this matter and curb this dangerous nuisance.

    With Regards
    Ramanathan A R

  • #4137
    This has become a very serious issue. Every morning children are taken and brought back in the evening like buffaloes packed in lorries (carrying them to butchers' shops). The autorikshas or mini buses or even large buses do the same thing.It may not be possible to do away with this in the immediate future.

    In Kerala, schools are mushrooming in each and every corner. Government owned schools, Aided schools and un-aided schools. At the same time the number children joining schools are reducing year after year. This year there is reduction of 17,076 students in Ernakulam district alone.(Last year the the total number of students were 3,35,887 while this year it is 3,18,811) The reason for reduction is evidently due to reduction in birth rate.

    Because of this tendency the school owners are competing to get more children to their respective schools. Very often the physical facilities, such as transportation facilities, may not be there in most of the schools. At the same time if they don't provide transport, the neighbouring school will pick up these students providing transport. There also not much facility will be there, but still they start packing and transporting.

    Maintaining a bus in the school involve lot of expenditure. Two employees, a driver and an attender, are minimum needed. They have to be paid every month. The diesel charge will have to be met every day.
    Ever year maintenance work has to be carried out and license renewed. RTO will have to be satisfied with the condition of the bus before the bus is taken to road on the reopening day.

    Thus altogether a good amount , not less than two lakhs, will have to be spent on a bus.The income will be only the bus charges collected from the students, which will be around a hundred rupees per head. ( I am siting the case of aided schools owned by a manager, not corporate management). Thus the management is forced to reduce the number of buses, which result in packing the students in the available vehicle.

    If only the neighbouring school system is made to be accepted by all a solution to this can be expected. Now in Kerala within 3 km a primary school is available and within 5 km a high school.

    T.M.Sankaran
    Gold Member, SPK

  • #4138
    Hi mr vinay jaykumar,
    Our normal practice is to wait for a mishap to happen, then start shouting about it. The media will try to bring out each and every aspect related to it. The Government machinery will also be active. Condolences, inquiry, compensations and what not? The uproar will last for a weak or so. After some time those files also will rest in peace. How many reports might be there so far? Did the authorities took any action so far?

    I think, it would be better not to rely on authorities, but take our own preventive steps. As what Sankaran sir said, choose the nearest schools for pre-primary stage of our kids. In that case, some of the elders at home can accompany the kids.

  • #4142
    The current issue is a burning one with the onset of monsoon in Kerala. Most of the institutions do have PTA who should be primarily responsible for the facility of transportation of students. PTA in such institutions should identify the vehicles which does not comply with the norms stipulated by the RTO at the time of permit issue. Senior students should be made to get to the private and KSRTC Buses where ever possible which will help the carriers to reduce the number of students in their vehicles. We the parents are inclined to provide more and more facilities to our children - a glaring reason. Otherwise, as we used to walk a bit to the school, our children should also be asked to stretch the route by foot. Easier said than done! Cure is better than remedy and it is, therefore, my suggestion to all Institutions to review the existing system, analyse critically and find alternative in consultation with the parents before any calamity.
    Sreekumar Nair
    Trichur

    "Proud to be an indian"

    NO & YES are two short words, which need a long thought..., most of the things we miss in life are due to saying NO too soon or YES too late. Have a great day.

  • #4156
    Hi all,

    Kerala, the most literate state in India, seems to be illiterate when it comes to the safety of children which may sound unimportant to majority of us but this is something which has to be paid immediate attention. I witnessed the most horrible incident of my life the day after i posted this article. The accident which took place in chakkanthara (palakkad) which is hardly a kilometre away from my place which eventually resulted in the death of a school kid. there is not much i can say about the rash driving of the youth. All these are adding to the woes. Sankaran sir has already summed up things with actual figures. The way things are going presently it is only going to worsen things in the future. At certain times i even feel we should take law in our hands. The officials are least bothered about such incidents. They have BETTER THINGS to do i guess. Like how Mr. Harshan said that "we tend to act only when a mishap occur". This mindset has to be changed. I am happy to have found such a social nnetworking site where i can express my views freely with people who share similar views as i. Each one of us can contribute greatly to the change we all wish to see and to make GOD'S OWN COUNTRY literally the GOD'S OWN COUNTRY for the kids.


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