Ferrying schoolkids: Open vehicles openly flouting govt rules in Lko
On May 31, 2019, the state government notified that open vehicles, including e-rickshaws, auto rickshaws and tempos, will not be allowed to ferry school children
Twelve school children had a narrow escape in an accident, however, it raises questions of how such vehicles continue to ferry schoolkids to and from institutions despite a state government ban on them carrying school children.
On May 31, 2019, the state government notified that open vehicles, including e-rickshaws, auto rickshaws and tempos, will not be allowed to ferry school children. The government had given three months then to schools and transporters to make the necessary changes.
In the same rule, to ensure girl child safety, a female attendant was made mandatory in school vans or buses in case a girl student is commuting .
However, on Wednesday afternoon HT’s pictures taken after school hours, exposed the brazen violation of the rule with authorities failing to enforce the rules, even five years after the rule came into force.
“We have already held meetings with school authorities on the subject, but we will hold one again after this incident,” said transport commissioner Chandrabhushan Singh.
“School authorities always brush their hands of the responsibility, saying that they cannot be responsible for what happens outside school premises, but we will appeal to them to be more cautious of this once again.”
Singh further said, this problem is particularly prevalent in Lucknow, where the problem of unfit and banned vehicles carrying children is recurring, and small vehicle owners and children’s guardians are not making an effort to follow these rules despite best efforts.
“It is doubly difficult to crack down on e-rickshaws because they do not have permits or any restrictions on where they can travel at all.”
“Yet another drive was launched in the city to check for unfit and banned vehicles transporting children to and from school,” he said.
What stakeholders say
Parents should try dropping and picking their children from school on their own but if that is not possible, they should pick a reliable vehicle for the purpose. Parents can also form groups at school level which can decide good conveyance options for children.”
-Parents’ Association treasurer Bhupendra Singh Sikarwar.
“More than which vehicle is being used by students to commute between school and home, what is more important is the need for traffic consciousness especially in the morning. When children come to school in the morning there are no traffic police in place and at times the traffic lights also do not function. I believe there is a need for special lanes for e rickshaws and cycles so that people are safe while commuting. The traffic police should also enforce fines against those flouting traffic rules from the early hours of the day.”
-Secretary, Unaided Private Schools Association, Mala Singh Mehra