TIRUPATI: On Thursday evening, a Class III student of a reputed international school travelling on the bonnet of her schoolbus, slipped and almost fell near the front door when the driver of the vehicle applied a sudden brake at a curve near Avilala tank in the temple town. The helper reacted promptly and saved her but the fact remains that the bus was overcrowded with children and the little girl was made to sit on the bonnet. “Luckily, the girl did not suffer any injury but it is a matter of concern that the student was made to travel in such circumstances,” an English teacher of the school who was travelling in the same bus told Express on condition of anonymity.
“The bus was overcrowded and the girl was forced to sit on the bonnet. We will take up the issue with the management,” the teacher added. Lisa Rufus, an English teacher, told Express that every day most of the schoolbuses travel packed with children.
After the horrific incident in Medak district, the parents in the temple town feel scared. They urge the officials to take proper measures towards the safety and protection of their children. M Gopal, a parent, said that school managements are failing to check the background of the drivers. “In the school where my daughter studied earlier, the driver used to attend court hearings for committing offences related to driving. Sometimes in his absence, the helper used to drive the bus,” he said.
Principal of Academic Heights School M Manju Vani said the school managements have their own reasons for not taking proper measures. “It is a fact that now-a-days schools are not maintaining the buses properly as per the norms prescribed by the government. Everyone is trying to point out at the school management but there are some other reasons too,” she said.