BMTC fails to reduce school van traffic

Even as incidents of school buses and vans getting involved in road accidents are on the rise in the City, putting at risk the safety of the children being ferried, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporations's

(BMTC) project ‘Safe Route to School’ (SRTS) remains unpopular for various reasons.
The BMTC had started the SRTS project with an aim to reduce traffic jams in the City, especially during the peak hours in the mornings and evenings.

However, the scheme seems to have failed to evoke a good response as the BMTC buses could not emulate the private school vans and buses. Traffic jams during the starting and closing hours of schools persist in the City.

The project had been launched in 2005 with the purpose of providing safe travel to schoolchildren and reducing traffic chaos on the roads as a BMTC bus could replace four small school vans and autorickshaws on roads.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B Dayananda said: “We have not noticed any reduction in traffic congestion because of the SRTS project. People utilise private vans and autorickshaws in large numbers. We can’t comment on the project unless parents and schools utilise it fully.”

Incidentally, even after nine years, the initiative has neither attracted the schools nor the parents. During 2013, there were 233 buses providing service to 43 schools. The number has increased only to 270 buses allotted for the project in 2014-15.

BMTC General Manager (Traffic) Veeregowda said, “There is an increase in the number of buses under the SRTS project compared to previous years.

The BMTC can provide buses to the schools which ask for the same. Around 50-60 schools are availing themselves of the service with 270 buses. If the schools want, we are ready to give more buses.”

While Bangalore has more than 5,800 schools, the SRTS project has been popular with only about 50 schools. Overloaded private vehicles and auto rickshaws continue to ferry schoolchildren.

BMTC buses not suitable

Karnataka State Schools and Light Motors Drivers’ Union president Shanmugan P S, told Deccan Herald: “The BMTC buses give service only up to pick-up and drop points while we provide door-to-door service. BMTC buses just drop the children from 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm, but this time schedule is not suitable for the parents who are working at far-off places.”
DH News Service