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Chandigarh: Parents see red over carpooling policy at St John’s school
Parents of St John’s High School, Sector 26, Chandigarh, say they are being forced to wait outside the school, while pooled cars are allowed entry, leading to more traffic jams
The carpooling policy being enforced by St John’s High School, Sector 26, has not gone down well with many students’ parents, who have picked holes in the way the policy is being implemented.
Parents, who choose to individually pick and drop their children, allege that vehicles with carpool stickers are being given preference for entry, while they are made to wait for up to half an hour outside, leading to traffic chaos.
The school authorities, however, say the carpooling policy is a step towards reducing down traffic congestion, as also encouraged by the Chandigarh Traffic Police.
A group of parents were reportedly involved in an argument with the school authorities on Monday afternoon after the gate was closed for vehicles coming to pick up students individually. Parents were allegedly made to wait for half an hour before they were allowed to enter, which they said led to a bigger traffic jam.
A parent has also written to authorities, including the UT adviser and school education director, to look into this.
Another parent, not wishing to be named, said school authorities were making students wait outside in the heat.
Move meant to bring down pollution, traffic congestion
School principal Kavita Das said the carpooling plan was aimed at reducing pollution and was arrived at after informing authorities: “Before the pandemic, more than 600 kids were coming in school buses and 400 kids in pooled cars. But now these numbers have gone down.”
“It is not possible to accommodate so many cars in the school’s parking and carpooling is the solution. Within a week, the number of pooled cars has gone up from three to 40 and the school will even help parents link up with others for suitable carpooling,” she added.
Das dismissed other complaints, saying all facilities were up to the mark and parents had been told to arrive at the school by 2.25 pm, instead of queuing up outside the gate from 1.45 pm onwards .
Ever since schools reopened for physical classes, the Sector 26 road where Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, St John’s High School, Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, St Kabir Public School and Strawberry Fields High School are located has seen several traffic jams.
The deputy superintendent of police (DSP, traffic east) had also held a meeting with the schools to better manage the traffic here.
