Bus service for govt school students fails to take off

The project named Micro School Escort was mooted by the State Transport Authority (STA) in the first quarter of last year and was said to be the first such initiative where students of government schools were being provided a commuting service in a public- private partnership mode. “The project failed to take off as government school authorities had apprehensions about the management. After various discussions and meetings with them,the Administration is working out an arrangement so that the responsibility would be shared by the PTA in-charge of respective schools and the transport companies,” said Vandana Disodia,secretary,State Transport Authority (STA).

The dispute over display of advertisements was also responsible for delaying the project. While the bus operators demanded permission to display ads,the Finance department was against it. Though monthly charges for the bus facility would be below Rs 400 for a student commuting in Chandigarh,it is expected that the operator may increase the fare in response to the denial for display of ads.

The service would be available to residents of Chandigarh only.

Initially,the service was said to start from government model senior secondary schools in sectors 16,18,19 and 35.

According to officials,the project was conceptualised not only to provide affordable commuting service to students but also to cut the monopoly of private bus operators and enable the department to check the operation of illegal bus services in government schools.

Representatives fail to turn up for meeting
The fate of the project remains in doldrums as the meeting called by the State Transport Authority (STA) for discussion on the project on Monday turned out to be a damp squib as nobody turned up. The PTA incharges and transport operators were called for the meeting. “The meeting had to be called off in the absence of representatives who were supposed to attend it. Despite the fact that they were invited for the meeting,nobody turned up,” said STA Secretary Vandana Disodia while talking to Newsline.