School van operators take initiative to check overloading

A group of autorickshaw and van drivers who ferry schoolchildren have taken onus on themselves to monitor overloading in vehicles. They have formed a Jamshedpur School Vahan Chalan Sangh with moré than 200 members having initiated a project to co-operate with the district administration. A meeting of the drivers was held in front of the Sacred Heart Convent School today to discuss plans for easy transport system for children.

 "We have joined hands to co-operate with the district administration. We are trying to do something for the first time in so many years. We have taken responsibility to monitor and also make the drivers counsel against overloading," said MD Rashid, a member of the School Vahan Chalan Sangh.

The members have distributed about 1000 forms since yesterday. The drivers will have to fill up their details and later all the forms will be submitted to the district administration. The form requires the driver's name, the registration number of the vehicle, the school which they cater to, the pick-up and drop point and the total distance covered in one trip. The traffic DSP, Jamshedpur, Vivekanand Thakur said that it would be great if auto drivers have come forward to assist the district administration.

 Many autorickshaws plying on the city's busy thoroughfares could be seen carrying students more than the permitted capacity. In several instances, the number of minors seated inside the three-wheelers exceeds nine or 10. Incidences of overloading have become quite visible in the mornings and evenings. Due to absence or inadequacy of public transport, parents depend on auto rickshaws for to and fro transportation of their children.

 The minors travelling in the overloaded vehicles are packed in pitiable conditions. Worse still is that one or two students could be seen sharing the driver's seat, oblivious to the risks involved. School and lunch bags hang on the hooks fitted to the sides of the auto rickshaws, causing discomfiture to other road users. 

Action is being taken through imposition of fines on erring autos."Authorities open their eyes only after an accident. So parents must ensure that the auto drivers they hire follow the rules. They must see that the private autos have a side door and other safety measures. Though it may be fun for the children and may seem cheaper for parents, overcrowding children in autos is dangerous," said Dr Umesh Kumar, President of Jamshedpur Parent's Association.