SWABI: Absence of transport facilities in the government schools and colleges across the district is resulting in frequent clashes between students and the public transporters over fare, often leading to road blockades by the students.

Sources said that only one out of 1,248 public sector educational institutions in the district has the transport facility. They said that as a result of lack of school transport and reluctance of public transporters to pick the students, they (the students) can’t reach schools on time and often miss classes.

When contacted, college teachers said the students had no option but to use the public transport, but the transporters were reluctant to pick them as they didn’t pay the full fare.

The students complained that most public transporters had turned to mini coaches instead of big buses and didn’t pick them up citing lack of space. They said they had to wait for hours to catch public transport and at many bus stops they erected blockades to stop the vehicles.

“When we feel that it might be difficult to reach the school or college in time we erect blockades to catch the vehicles. This tactic has worked for us,” said Mr Niqash Minerwal, district general secretary of Pakhtun Students Federation.

Public transporters said that students’ insistence to pay half fare was a big problem for them, which often led to brawls between them and the students, said Nisar Khan, a passenger coach driver at Topi general bus stand.

“Two days back when the students of a local college refused to pay full fare I stopped the coach and asked them that unless they pay in full, he will not move ahead,” said Mr Khan.

“Frequently, it came to be seen that students clashed with the transporters and when the situation turned serious they blocked roads for many hours and staged protest demonstration,” said a college teacher.

The sources said among the girls’ colleges, only the Swabi-Maneri college had the transport facility. They added that higher secondary, higher and middle schools also faced the same problem, as a result the students, especially girls faced great difficulties in reaching their institutions and vice versa.

Both the teachers and students demanded of the authorities concerned to provide the schools and colleges with the transport facilities so the students could be saved of the hassle of travelling in public transport.

Meanwhile, sources in the education department admitted that majority of educational institutions were facing transport problem.