Rabindranath Biswas
Harinagar, March 13: School students commuting daily to nearby schools are facing severe inconvenience and potential safety hazards due to the limited seating capacity of a bus provided by the State Transport Service (STS) department.
According to local residents, the small bus with a seating capacity of 32 seats assigned for student transport from Basantipur to Government Senior Secondary School, Swadeshnagar during morning and evening hours for the benefit of school students becomes overcrowded during peak hours as a large number of students depend on it to reach their schools. With far more passengers than its capacity, the bus often becomes jam-packed, forcing many students to stand throughout the journey, the Pradhan, GP, Hari Nagar, Shri Manojit Halder informed.
The concerned Pradhan and locals have reported that the overcrowding frequently causes the vehicle to tilt to one side while in motion, raising fears of a possible mishap if immediate steps are not taken. Parents have also expressed anxiety over the safety of their children, especially during long and crowded journeys.
The issue has been strongly raised by Mr. Halder, who has brought the matter to the attention of the concerned authorities. The Pradhan stated that the current arrangement is inadequate to accommodate the growing number of school-going children relying on the service.
He has urged the local administration and the STS department to deploy a long chassis bus with higher seating capacity so that students can commute safely and comfortably.
Such a measure, he said, would significantly reduce overcrowding and ensure a safer journey for the children.
Local residents and parents are hopeful that the authorities will take prompt action to address the issue before any untoward incident occurs.
