Panaji: With the re-opening of schools, there has been a shortage of buses on certain routes, especially during the peak school hours in the morning and afternoons across the State.
Parents, teachers and students from Cansaulim, Saligao and Bicholim are facing hardships in reaching their educational institutions on time. Most schools and colleges begin at 8 am, and students have to wait in long queues for hours before they can catch a bus. Similarly, after school, in the afternoons too the shortage of buses is experienced in these areas.
Schools having the facility of Balraths can pick up their primary and secondary students from their homes, however, most high school and higher secondary students use public transportation to reach their institutions.
“The bus services that had stopped plying due to the lockdown, have not yet resumed and there is a shortage of buses to reach Mapusa where I study,” complained Dhruv Naik, a student from Bicholim.
Another student hailing from Arossim, Rozvette Siqueira, pointed out that before the pandemic, there would be buses every 5-10 minutes.
“But, now we have to wait for more than 20 minutes to catch a bus. Many of us are travelling from far, and have to change multiple buses. Eventually, we end up missing a day from school if we don’t get a bus on time,” said Rozvette.
Steve Fernandes, a student from Saligao said, “Fewer local buses have created problems, especially in village areas. Earlier there would be five to six buses plying on the same route, whereas now it’s decreased to just four, this has led to overcrowding. The arrival of the monsoon has worsened the problem as everyone rushes to get on the bus. If a bus is late more than 30 people are waiting to get into an already crammed bus, but most students don’t take the risk. Those owning private vehicles can afford to go by it.”
Judith Dias, a teacher from a school in North Goa, said, “Many students have informed that the reason for their tardiness is the lack of public buses. We have understood their situation but cannot encourage this and hence action needs to be taken. To date, there are only a few government buses like Kadamba public transport buses that pass through village areas at a specific time. Introducing more buses during the early hours from 7 am would benefit students and working members.”
This news is reported by The Goan. To read more GOA news visit The Goan
