TIRUCHY: School students from Nadupatti, Sukkavalli, Meenakshiyur, Kumarapatti, and Keeranur villages have urged the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) to operate direct bus services to the Government High School at Puduvadi in Manapparai taluk, alleging that inadequate connectivity is forcing them to walk up to 8 km to school and back. TNSTC sources said a narrow railway subway located in the route between the villages and the school made it difficult to operate buses frequently.
A video uploaded by them has gone viral where they highlighted their difficulties. In the video, a Class IX student says there is just one bus serving the villages at around 7.45 a.m. and another at about 4.15 p.m. “If we miss the bus, we are likely to miss school for the day. Likewise, if we miss the evening bus, we have to walk nearly 8 km to reach home,” the student said. He further claimed that several Class X girl students, who attend special classes after school hours are forced to walk home.
According to the school administration, 159 students are enrolled in the school, many of whom depend entirely on public transport to attend classes. Alagarsamy, headmaster of the government high school, Puduvadi, told TNIE the transportation issue has persisted for several years.
“There is a railway subway on the route connecting these villages to the school, and it is too narrow for buses to pass through comfortably. Besides, the road between Sukkapatti and Kumarapatti is in a poor condition,” he said.
He added that many students travel to the Tiruchy-Dindigul highway, located a few kilometres from their villages, to board buses, as there is no direct bus from their habitations.
TNSTC officials said they would examine the feasibility of introducing additional services or rescheduling route of the existing buses. A senior TNSTC official told TNIE that a preliminary field inspection was conducted on Thursday evening.
“The railway subway appears to be one of the major constraints. Since it is narrow, we need to assess whether buses can safely use the route. Based on the survey findings, we will explore suitable alternatives,” the official said.
