Yet another academic year has begun, and while the city is gearing itself up for heavy rains and extreme traffic congestion, private school-van drivers are in great haste to get their vehicles up and running after a series of safety and maintenance checks.
According to the Motor Vehicle Department of Kerala, any vehicle on school duty, be it private or school-run, must have accurate speed governors, proper seats, first-aid and fire and safety kits, and must abide by the authorised speed limit. The most imperative aspect regarding the safety of schoolchildren is to maintain their numbers in accordance with the permitted seating capacity. This, however, has put private school-van drivers in a bit of a spot.
Nazar C. M., owner of two school vans, and a driver with nearly 18 years of experience, says, “Private school-van services are cheaper compared to that of school-buses; we do not charge as much as the buses run by schools. But, we are still required to pay more taxes than them at the end of the year.” While school buses pay close to Rs. 2,000 annually, private school-van owners pay more than Rs.10,000 as taxes every year. “In spite of this, I make sure that every child gets to sit comfortably in my vehicle during school trips. I have so far received no complaints from students, parents or school authorities regarding my service,” he adds. “Laws are made to help everyone equally. While private school-van drivers like us pay hefty sums as taxes, the school-run buses barely pay one-third the amount paid by us.,” reiterates Naseer, a former school-van driver.
K. S. Subheesh, the secretary of Naval School Drivers' Association, is also a school-van owner and driver. “I make school trips to Kendriya Vidyalaya and I cover almost 40 km every day. After covering diesel charges, maintenance expenses, taxes, insurance and so on, I barely get enough to sustain my family,” he says. He also adds that most of the school buses collect fees for 12 whole months, as opposed to private school-vans.
Girish Kumar, a parent who prefers private school-van services over school buses for his daughter, says, “Although school buses are considered more responsible, organised and reliable, private school-vans offer their services at your doorstep at a lower cost. It is far more convenient to have your child picked up and dropped right in front of your house.”
It is vital to note that the safety of roads is as important as the safety of school buses. The wear and tear of brand new roads a few months after their repair is not an uncommon sight in Kochi. Any city-dweller can predict with absolute certainty the impending ruin of the roads after a couple of downpours. In addition to this, there has been a conspicuous increase in traffic congestion with the expansion of the Kochi Metro Rail.
During the pre-monsoon school-bus safety check-up held at the Kalamassery Polytechnic College last week, 526 out of 680 school-buses received fitness certificates. As a result of the District Collector's recent order to increase the speed limit for school buses from 40km/hr to 50km/hr, private school-van drivers are collectively hoping to be able to do the same. Nevertheless, school buses and private school-vans, despite their competition, will find themselves in a tight corner over the next few months, waging a battle against the rain, the roads, and the laws.
