School van, autorickshaw drivers to resume services from today

Vans and autos allowed to ferry 12 and eight children respectively for a month

: School van and autorickshaw drivers, who have suspended their services since Saturday in protest against the restrictions imposed by the Mysore city police on ferrying schoolchildren, are expected to resume services from Tuesday.

A meeting convened at the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on Monday resolved to allow school vans and autorickshaws to ferry 12 and eight schoolchildren respectively for a month and subsequently ferry 10 and six children respectively.

Deputy Commissioner (in-charge) S. Palaiah and Police Commissioner M.A. Saleem attended the meeting in which representatives of school van and autorickshaw drivers attended. BJP councillor ‘Snake’ Shyam was also present.

The protesting drivers had met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Sunday and sought his intervention.

Mr. Palaiah convened the meeting since the indefinite suspension of transportation services had caused severe inconvenience to children and their parents.

While a majority of schoolchildren were dropped to schools by their parents in their own vehicles, some of them arrived in goods transport autorickshaws on Monday.

Mr. Saleem told The Hindu that the drivers have been given a month’s time to comply with the new rule.

“They cannot carry more than six children in autorickshaws and 10 children in vans,” he said.