THE authorities seem oblivious to the shenanigans of school transport operators, who have become a law unto themselves. Transport operators ferrying school children are a common sight in the big cities and are an essential service in a metropolis like Karachi.

The school transport operators are charging exorbitant rates for their service which is best described as “acceptable for want of a better alternative.”

Many transport operators use 1000cc pickups with no or few safety features. To add to children’s woes they are packed like sardines in these vehicles. They charge parents exorbitantly for the service and like schools demand that they be paid even during summer vacations.

The van drivers do not consider the size and capacity of their vehicle and accept as many students as possible even though accommodating them in the vehicle is impossible. To make room they even force the older boys to stand on the footboards. To save on fuel and time many school van drivers resort to traffic violations and drive on the wrong side of the road. Some van drivers even have inappropriate songs blaring from their vehicle’s stereo system.

The Sindh government and schools management should sit together and come up with a code of conduct for school transport van drivers.

Javeria Avais
Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2019