School timings likely to be revised in Bengaluru to ease traffic congestion

Bengaluru officials consider revising school timings to address traffic congestion.

School timings in Bengaluru are likely to be revised by officials in order to address and ease the infamous and recurrent traffic congestions that the city faces on the daily. Authorities are mulling a change in school timings after a recent High Court order which suggested a revision in the same as a solution to traffic issues. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Samarpana Trust in 2020, which sought to implement a 2014 Supreme Court directive aimed at reducing traffic congestion in cities.

Authorities are mulling a change in school timings after a recent High Court order which suggested a revision in the same as a solution to traffic issues. (HT File/for representation only)

The High Court also advised the state government to hold talks with associations and parents to come to a conclusion on the issue. It also advised that industrial establishment timings also be changed. In this light, the Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, specifically the Education Department, has scheduled meetings with stakeholders, the Association of Private Schools, the Association of School Vehicles, and parents today to take their views on school timings, a report said.

The bench, comprising of Chief Justice Prasanna Varale and Justice Krishna Dixit, said in a recent order that the state government, through the secretary of school education and higher education, may call a meeting of stakeholders such as representatives of private/government institutions, school bus operators, parents’ associations and take up the issue of revising school timings so as to ease traffic, and at the same time, consider the security and safety of children.

Bengaluru city recently saw a major holdup on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) as residents headed out of the city for the long weekend ahead of Eid Milad, a state-wide bandh and Gandhi Jayanti after the weekend. That coupled with comedian Trevor Noah's first show in the city, heavy rain in some areas and Lord Ganesha idol immersion processions brought vehicular movement to a crawl.