VELLORE: Five villages in proximity to each other, less than 10 kilometres from the city, lack bus facilities resulting in students, especially girls, feeling insecure when they commute to schools.
The villages - Vandikorankottai, Jamalpuram, Periay Thellur, Thellur and Vadakamedu are located between Usoor and Bengaluru road. Students from these villages are studying in two schools in Usoor - the Government BHSS and GGHSS are forced to walk several kilometres everyday to reach the schools.
“I walk from Jamalpuram to my school, which is two km away from my home in the morning and evening when I return,” said an eighth standard boy.
“I have asked my niece not to take a lift from commuters, but she asked us one day ‘how can I walk three kilometres everyday in the morning and evening?’ So last year, we shifted her to Poigai Government School and still have to walk a kilometre to take the bus from Bengaluru road,” said Velu, a resident of Vadakamedu.
Auto drivers benefit greatly from the lack of bus facilities charging `10 for one km. “Most of the people in surrounding villages have their own vehicle, but what about the children belonging to lower classes,” said a resident of Jamalpuram.
The villagers petitioned the panchayat president two years ago and are considering petitioning the district administration for instituting bus services from the villages. Usoor Panchayat President T Maniyammal said she would take steps to enable bus facilities in upcoming weeks.