School vans : Packed like sardines : The wake up call
- Sangai Express Editorial :: May 25, 2013 -

Two out of 15 school children undergoing emergency treatment at the JNIMS Casualty Ward :: Pix - TSE

It did not end in a disaster. A providential escape ?

Whatever, the warning cannot and should not be ignored. Packed like sardines in a can.

This is perhaps the closest description of school vans all over Imphal and the other towns of Manipur, like Churachandpur, Thoubal and Kakching. No reason to believe that the situation would be different in other district headquarters.

The reason could be a faulty exhaust pipe but 18 school kids crammed inside a van should tell a story of its own, a significant story.

Earning a livelihood, that is what van drivers/owners do while ferrying kids to and from school.

And maximising income is the driving force behind all endeavours to earn a livelihood. School van drivers/owners are no exception.

But this should not come at the expense of exposing the little tots to dangers and cramming in as much as 18 little kids into a van, which is meant to carry four or six people is pushing the envelope a little too far.

Lest it is misread, this commentary is not only about a particular school van carrying 18 school going kids but about the prevailing situation where school children are packed into vans and other vehicles like the proverbial sardines in a can.

Expecting the Government to adopt a policy to limit the number of children which a single school van can carry would be naive.

The initiative should come from the parents and the schools concerned, of course with the co-operation of the associations/organisations of the school van/taxi drivers and owners. This is not far fetched.

With fuel prices sky rocketing in recent times, school van drivers and owners must be hard pressed to earn a decent income. This is a given.

But this again cannot be an excuse to go the whole hog and cram in as many students as possible into a vehicle which is supposed to seat four or six persons at the most, including the driver.

The option is for all the parties involved to sit down together and discuss things over without either side losing out. The help of the Government in enforcing any decision reached can be sought.

In Education Minister O Okendro, Manipur has a young man who seems open minded and ready to look beyond the obvious.

The readyness to look for fresh ideas and approaches should also extend to the question of school vans.

Set a limit on the number of students to be ferried in a single school vehicle, whether it is a bus or a van or any other vehicle.

Increasing the van fees can also be considered rationally. It is about the safety of the young children here. Going to school should not be a hazard.

On the contrary travelling to school everyday in a vehicle can also be educative. Sharing a seat with a fellow student invariably means adjusting, accommodating and interacting. This is also a part of education.

No arguments over here. However when students are crammed into a vehicle, then far from adjusting and accommodating, it could well mean a rat race to get a seat.

It could also provide a ground for the bully instinct to come to the fore amongst some of the young students.

To put it briefly, it could encourage selfishness, a mentality that as long as one gets one’s seat, then nothing else matters. This is about the impact on the mentality of the young students.

From the perspectives of the van drivers, it could mean dangerous driving. An over crowded vehicle can never be a safe option. This is the reality.

The wake up call has been sounded and it is only right that parents, school authorities and van drivers/owners and their organisations or associations sit down together and discuss things in the right perspective.

The Government too should look into and arbitrate in limiting the number of children in a single school ferrying vehicle.