THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When lives came to a halt due to Covid outbreak in March 2020, Manilal R, a bus driver with a private school in Neyyattinkara, was one among the many who was left in the lurch. With the sudden shift to online classes, the school authorities stopped bus services rendering him jobless.
However, Manilal is hopeful again as regular classes started on Monday. The school authorities have recently informed him that they will restart bus services soon.
“As schools shifted to online mode, bus services were stopped. Since then, we have been out of work. Though schools reopened in November last year, our services weren’t resumed. But now, after a gap of more than two years, the buses are starting again according to the school management. Maintenance works have already begun before the buses hit the road,” said Manilal, who has been driving a school bus for the past 10 years.
Kept off roads for more than two years, buses require various repair works before they are in running condition. Hence, the school management has decided to resume the bus services only after a few months.
Ajikumar, a driver at Christ Nagar Higher Secondary School for the past four years says, “School management has told us the bus services will resume by the end of this month. But it is yet to be confirmed. Unlike other school bus drivers in the city, we were regularly being paid during the pandemic and were also supported by the management. Once the authorities confirm the dates, we will resume services.”
While many school authorities have started reaching out to their bus drivers and taking steps to resume the service for the transportation of the students, many drivers are still awaiting the call of the management to resume services.
“It has been more than two years since I got my regular salary. Though many parents have been enquiring about the bus service, the school management is yet to make a decision. Many school buses in the city have already resumed services. Being out of work, we are in a huge financial crisis and are clueless about how to repay the loans,” said Anilkumar P, who has eight years of experience in the field.