Bus service for schools -- a good decision
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Matin bin Zahir
In response to a news item, 'Bus service for school students', published in different national dailies recently, I would commend it as a good decision. This should be compulsory, instead of using private vehicles. Surely, it will help ease at least a little of traffic congestion in Dhaka city. I have the following contention in mind with a sense of gratitude to the government. When my morning walk finishes, present school time comes up. There are a few international schools on my way back. I notice luxurious vehicles, come and stop in front of the schools. In most vehicles the number of passenger, is -- one or two. When the number of passenger is one, s/he is an adolescent and when the number is two, one is a minor boy or girl and the other is his/her mother. In the later case, the tiny boy or girl become drowsy or sometime sleepy and the mother has to pull him/her to get off the vehicle. Because perhaps they travelled a long way to come to the school in the early morning which might not be suitable for the kids.
I witness a large number of vehicles which flock together in the morning creating traffic congestion on the city roads. The thing which strikes me much is the helplessness and the unwillingness of the kids to get down from the vehicle in entering their schools which might be a place of lot of attraction and amusement.
To make schools playful and attractive to the kids among other things is to come to the school with friends. I can vividly remember my boyhood (many readers will agree with me, I hope) going to the school with friends was a great fun and one of the most attractive things in school life. Same is the case while back home. Innumerable days I left for school unfed or not properly fed as my school mates already reached my house. If I can not accompany them for food I will have to go to school alone which was at that time unbearable for me.
Going to school with friends is not only playful but also educative activity. This teaches the kids to become extrovert, make adjustment with others, develop a sense of tolerance, be more communicative and competitive. Going to school alone brings nothing but frustration, aloofness and introvertness. I talked about a situation of early sixties at village level. But the urban situation does not match with country-level situation.
In the city, the kids can not move on foot. They must use vehicle. But the above friendly situation can be created in the vehicle also. When a comfortable, spacious bus carry at least 50 -55 students together, they can be acquainted and adjusted with each other and learn many things and the school-going situation may become playful. What do we see when city boys and girls go to picnic? They make their journey enjoyable which is never possible by going alone. Keeping this scenario in mind let us think of the use of big special buses instead of tiny cars, microbus and jeep. A school bus will run on the road bellying 60 kids instead of 60 small vehicles. The impact of school bus will be enormous in keeping the city roads free from traffic congestion. The school bus will be of same size and colour and kids' friendly. But the name and monogram of different schools will be illuminated on the body for identification. Government buses will be identified by the name of the introducing company. These buses will be indemnified from all hazards by special rules of the land.
In the USA, if a school bus is pushed by any vehicle, the driver of the pushing bus will be liable to at least six months imprisonment without any witness. To keep our parents assured of the safety of their kids beyond their hands, introducing this kind of rules is important.
Though late, government has rightly thought of the system of introducing compulsory bus for schools. High income group of schools will introduce their own buses and for the low and middle income group of schools, the government or interested companies may introduce school buses with immediate effect. Whatever school or company brings the school buses on the city roads, the design will be the same as approved by the government authority. We look forward to looking these school buses in the city roads in near future.
The writer can be reached at e-mail: amatin.aub@gmail.com
In response to a news item, 'Bus service for school students', published in different national dailies recently, I would commend it as a good decision. This should be compulsory, instead of using private vehicles. Surely, it will help ease at least a little of traffic congestion in Dhaka city. I have the following contention in mind with a sense of gratitude to the government. When my morning walk finishes, present school time comes up. There are a few international schools on my way back. I notice luxurious vehicles, come and stop in front of the schools. In most vehicles the number of passenger, is -- one or two. When the number of passenger is one, s/he is an adolescent and when the number is two, one is a minor boy or girl and the other is his/her mother. In the later case, the tiny boy or girl become drowsy or sometime sleepy and the mother has to pull him/her to get off the vehicle. Because perhaps they travelled a long way to come to the school in the early morning which might not be suitable for the kids.
I witness a large number of vehicles which flock together in the morning creating traffic congestion on the city roads. The thing which strikes me much is the helplessness and the unwillingness of the kids to get down from the vehicle in entering their schools which might be a place of lot of attraction and amusement.
To make schools playful and attractive to the kids among other things is to come to the school with friends. I can vividly remember my boyhood (many readers will agree with me, I hope) going to the school with friends was a great fun and one of the most attractive things in school life. Same is the case while back home. Innumerable days I left for school unfed or not properly fed as my school mates already reached my house. If I can not accompany them for food I will have to go to school alone which was at that time unbearable for me.
Going to school with friends is not only playful but also educative activity. This teaches the kids to become extrovert, make adjustment with others, develop a sense of tolerance, be more communicative and competitive. Going to school alone brings nothing but frustration, aloofness and introvertness. I talked about a situation of early sixties at village level. But the urban situation does not match with country-level situation.
In the city, the kids can not move on foot. They must use vehicle. But the above friendly situation can be created in the vehicle also. When a comfortable, spacious bus carry at least 50 -55 students together, they can be acquainted and adjusted with each other and learn many things and the school-going situation may become playful. What do we see when city boys and girls go to picnic? They make their journey enjoyable which is never possible by going alone. Keeping this scenario in mind let us think of the use of big special buses instead of tiny cars, microbus and jeep. A school bus will run on the road bellying 60 kids instead of 60 small vehicles. The impact of school bus will be enormous in keeping the city roads free from traffic congestion. The school bus will be of same size and colour and kids' friendly. But the name and monogram of different schools will be illuminated on the body for identification. Government buses will be identified by the name of the introducing company. These buses will be indemnified from all hazards by special rules of the land.
In the USA, if a school bus is pushed by any vehicle, the driver of the pushing bus will be liable to at least six months imprisonment without any witness. To keep our parents assured of the safety of their kids beyond their hands, introducing this kind of rules is important.
Though late, government has rightly thought of the system of introducing compulsory bus for schools. High income group of schools will introduce their own buses and for the low and middle income group of schools, the government or interested companies may introduce school buses with immediate effect. Whatever school or company brings the school buses on the city roads, the design will be the same as approved by the government authority. We look forward to looking these school buses in the city roads in near future.
The writer can be reached at e-mail: amatin.aub@gmail.com