Schools directed to curb pvt vehicles

Schools curb pvt vehicles
The Times of India

Bangalore: The education department on Friday directed 16 schools in Bangalore to ban parents from dropping their children in private cars and two-wheelers.
The 16 schools, including Bishop Cottons Boys school, Bishop Cotton Girls school, Sophia Girls high school and Baldwins Girls and Boys schools identified by the Bangalore city police as being located in traffic-congested areas, have been told to ensure that all children come by the school bus.

The department’s directive is to be implemented, when schools reopen on June 1. “We have asked the schools to either arrange for buses on their own or hire BMTC buses to ferry children,’’ education secretary T.M. Vijayabhaskar told The Times of India.

The department’s move comes in the wake of traffic clogs during peak hours. With schools not making it mandatory for all children to come by school buses, many parents prefer dropping their wards by cars or twowheelers, which led to traffic jams between 8 and 9.30 am. But school principals have their doubts over the implementation of the diktat.

“We have buses with us which cannot accommodate all my students. And I do not know how far BMTC can help us. I have my doubts about its implementation. I will seek parents’ views before taking a decision on the directive,’’ principal of Bishop Cottons’ Boys school A. Ebenezer stated.

Classes from 8.30 am

The department has also directed all English medium schools in Bangalore to commence class before 8.30 am. “No school should start later than that. This is to ensure that children are in classrooms during the peak hours,’’ sources said.