Nayagarh: The Bhadrak road accident of July 19 that claimed the lives of five schoolchildren caught the administration and educational institutions napping.
Similar scenes of students being transported dangerously can be seen on any school day here. Former Collector Arindam Dakua had convened a meeting over the way students were being ferried to their institutions November 7, 2016 and it was decided that transportation of students in auto-rickshaws should not be allowed. But two years down the line the decision is yet to be put into practice.
Hundreds of auto-rickshaws carrying students ply on the roads in the town every day. Students can be seen packed like sardines in the vehicles. The condition of students travelling in school buses is no better. Students can be seen hanging by the strap in such buses.
But neither the education department nor the transport department has bothered to put curbs on this dangerous trend.
Guardians have urged the district administration to take steps in this regard. “It is a matter of concern that the authorities are not taking any steps to ensure the safety of schoolchildren including those who walk or cycle to schools,” a parent said.
The unruly traffic and the bad shape of roads here add to the worries of guardians.
National Highway-57 passes through the town. Heavy vehicles move on this stretch during the school hours.
Pointing out the stretch from the Collector’s office to Traffic Square, locals said this part of the road is not only sloping but also does not have speed-breakers. A major accident cannot be ruled out on this road at any time, they added.
When contacted, an official of Regional Transport Office here, on the condition of anonymity, said school vans were being checked, but not regularly due to staff shortage.
PNN