KOCHI: With only a couple of days for the vacations to end, parents are busy finishing their children’s school shopping to welcome yet another academic year. But with the reopening of school, various headaches are attached too. One common headache is finding transportation for children. Getting a good school van/bus and a good driver is often a task that comes with a fair amount of issues.And often parents settle for the driver available at the shortest notice, the time taken to choose the school transportation being less than that of deciding a school bag for their kid. Many feel that the matter should be taken more seriously. Parents need to consider how children are being taken to school like a bunch of stacked bananas. They must find out the track record of the driver who takes their children to school. “The government has passed directions on everything. From the number of children to be seated in a school van and to the training of the bus drivers. But the execution of these directives will be more effective if the parents start looking into the process of safety. For instance, if the parents stop sending their children in vehicles which are crowded beyond capacity, the whole issue of overcrowding in school vehicles could be resolved,” said T J Thomas, the Regional Transport Officer. The parents can play an active part through the Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) in schools which is part of the school squad formed to monitor the activities of the school bus drivers. The idea of school squads was brought last year but due to the delay in the launch of the programme, it failed to be implemented in most schools. This year the government and the motor vehicles have been given instructions to begin the squads in all schools both private and public.As per the guidelines issued, the squads consisting of officials from the motor vehicle department, the education department, the police department and the members from the PTA of the schools must ensure the safety of children.But many also say that it is not just the school drivers who are behind the trouble. “When it comes to training drivers to ply school children, the biggest problem we face is the privately owned vehicles. Since there is no organised body in here, it is difficult to track them down and give training. Moreover most are reluctant to undergo training,” said Motor Vehicle Inspector, Kochi.The Motor Vehicles Department has also been urging the parents and schools to advance the school opening time to early morning. “If the school timing is made earlier, it will make the travelling for students safer and will save time as they would not be stuck in the city traffic. Besides even for the general public this would help in reducing the traffic jam at the peak time,” said the RTO.
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