Jamshedpur : Autorickshaws packed with students and school buses and vans with children’s bags bulging out of the windows are a regular sight. Even educational institutions that own vehicles are ignoring the safety aspects of transporting the children.
Thousands of city�s schoolchildren are traveling to and from school in overcrowded auto-rickshaws and vans everyday. Despite district administration�s initiative to crack down on school autorickshaws and vans, the operators continue to flout the directives.
Concerned over the situation Parents� Association of Jamshedpur handed over a memorandum to DC.
�Overloading is the most common violation by these vehicles. A majority of these vehicles are private vehicles carrying out a commercial activity. We have expressed concern and conveyed the same to many schools in the city but with little response, said Umesh Kumar of the association.
�Parents must ensure that the auto drivers they hire follow the rules. They must see that the private autos have a side door and other safety measures. Though it may be fun for the children and may seem cheaper for parents, overcrowding children in autos is dangerous,” said Kumar