PERAMBALUR: The arrival of a government bus one hour prior to the scheduled time has put school and college students in Neduvasal village, Perambalur district, in a spot of rush as they have to make haste to board the bus in the morning hours.
Earlier, bus number 17A used to arrive at 8 am in Neduvasal; however, it has been arriving an hour early over the past year, rue students. Over 60 students from Neduvasal village in Perambalur district are enrolled in the Perambalur government school and various private schools and colleges.
Since government bus 17A has been arriving much earlier than it's normally scheduled, the students are forced to wake up early in the morning and finish their daily chores in a haste. Further, students complain about the bus not arriving on several days.
We are faced with the risk of losing attendance, say the students. Though several petitions were submitted in this regard, action is yet to be taken. Left with little to no choice, students hired autorickshaws or rode down to colleges on two-wheelers on Monday. T Ramkumar, a Class 9 student from Neduvasal, said, "Commutation has turned out to be an onerous task for us.
Exams are currently underway and we are faced with the double whammy of preparing for exams and waking up early. At times, we do not even get the time to consume breakfast or carry lunch boxes. We often eat lunch from the school canteen itself."
Further, Ramkumar deplored the irregularity in the bus' arrival, underlying that it arrives only four or five times a week. M Sakthivel, a resident, blamed the bus driver for the dereliction of duty. "Not only the students but the commuters, too, are affected by the driver's negligence.
Additional bus service is a necessity in the village." When contacted, a senior official of Perambalur bus depot expressed doubt over the complaints. "However, I will check the matter and take steps if required."