TIRUNELVELI: In the age of modern transport, there are some who still use bullock carts to go to school.
Children within a radius of 5 km from Palayamkottai, including Keelanatham, Pottal, Padapaikurichi, Kottur and Thimarajapuram, commute to school by bullock carts.
These carts resemble caravans and have provisions for carrying bags and water bottles.
Govindan, one of the drivers of this fast vanishing mode of transport, said, “I have been in this profession for the last three decades. My work has been to take children from their home, leave them at school and take them back in the evening.”
“In my early days, there were more than a hundred bullock caravans engaged in this service. Now there are only four bullock caravans for this service,” he says and adds that modern transport and free passes by issued the government has nearly brought this service to a standstill.
“Though the service is on the verge of extinction, there are many parents who voluntarily send their children in bullock caravans because they are safer and cheaper,” he said.
Most of the children commuting through bullock caravans are studying in Class V or below and are students of reputed convent and matriculation schools in Palayamkottai.
They said, “We enjoy going to school by bullock caravan as it goes slowly. We enjoy all the sights and yet we are never late to school. Our fellow classmates who come by cars, buses and autos come late.”
“Above all, we love the bullocks that pull us since they obey all our commands,” they added.
Reverting to this safe and non-polluting means of travel could mean a slow and steady step towards a ‘green’ mode of transport.