Today morning when I was out on the road on my way to a clients office, I was held up in one of the many unsynchonized Mumbai signals. Just next to my car was a school bus, a 25 seater bus. The sudden spray of water on the car from the bus drew my attention to the bus, though often we ignore to observe the things happening around us in such traffic stops and keep our gaze on the traffic lights ahead. It was a kid who emptied his water bottle on my car. Did I take offence to this act? Yes, I did as my sleeves were wet. But when I got down in anger and stepped inside the bus, what I saw and remembered about my daughter - all the anger was turned on to me as a parent. The bus was carrying about 40 students, most of them did not have a seat to sit. There were students leaning out of the window. There were no attendents to mind the students inside. The cleaner stands on the footboard and he is supposed to be the attendent. Is he attending to the students inside or helping the driver with the left side of the bus (banging on the sides). Poor kids, all dumped in.
The other day I remember reading a news item that the Regional Transport Office (RTO) conducted a surprise check in Mumbai. Mind you these surprise checks are conducted only after there is a mishap - when a girl in Delhi was crushed under the rear wheel. Many of these buses were not fit for use as school bus as they did not have grills, did not have fire extinguishers, the emergency exit was locked, etc. They were fined as per the rules. The fines were paid and are back on the roads without any change. Another surprise check after many months and another fine. Thats how it will continue.
Have you seen some of these buses. They are rickety, with tell tale signs of bangings, with indicators broken, no school bus signage, etc. Are they worth transporting our precious?
Have you tried talking to the schools and brought all these to their notice. Rarely have you done. Even if you have done, the answer you get is that the school buses are operated by the local operators (who have political patronage) and the school will talk to them. They are all hand in glove as a certain percentage of the revenue is paid to the school. The school administration is not really managed by the Principal. But by one of the administrator who is a close confidant of the "sethji." His job is to save money for "sethji" and he is least bothered of these nuances. We go running to the Principal, who is really helpless.
The schools do not realize that they are the "Principal" employers though this service maybe contracted out. Most of the employees of these buses are all paid in cash and not covered under the various labour law requirements such ESI, PF, etc. Most of the contractors avoid paying taxes on the cash amount paid to them by you and me. How many schools bother to look into all these? How many law enforcing agencies bother to look into all these?
Interestingly so many accidents have happened in the past, but how many are remembered. Even the Delhi incident of a cylinder blast in a car when children were burnt to death may have been forgotten by many of us. Even an incident when a mother was crushed under the wheels of a bus in Mumbai school may have been forgotten. Why do we have to remember only when incidents happen with us?
Anyways it is convenient for the schools and contractors to suppress these accidents and incidents, as the officers who matter their kids are in those schools or buses. Just imagine how much pleasure it would be for the officer to get the schools or the contractor obliged to them. It means extra care for their child, it means pickup and drop at their gate, if not at the door.
God help us all! My daughter too must be travelling like this and in such a bus. Maybe yours too. But how many of us have found the time to ask for their travelling woes? The day all of us wake up things will improve. Learning is not only confined to classroom. Let us all not be insensitive to their needs.
