As the traffic police restricted the number of children to be ferried in each school van, parents are a worried lot with private van operators increasing the charges by almost 100%.
According to fresh guidelines issued by the traffic police, a school cab cannot ferry more than nine children.
Parents complain that the private van operators who used to charge R600 per month for a student have now started asking for R1000 from April.
At present, many parents prefer the service of private van operators instead of taking much expensive cab facility provided by the school.
Now the van operators have decided to revise the rates from the next academic session starting from April. Earlier, they approached the deputy commissioner of police seeking permission to ferry 12-15 students in a van. But the authorities rejected their request, saying that they “cannot put the life of students at stake”.
“Our job is to implement the law. We are not concerned with the rates they are charging and we cannot announce any tariff for them. We are only law implementing authority,” said Bharti Arora, DCP (traffic).
There are nearly 1,000 vans being run by private players. Each van has the capacity to accommodate eight children. But these cabs are often seen ferrying 15-20 children.
{{/usCountry}}There are nearly 1,000 vans being run by private players. Each van has the capacity to accommodate eight children. But these cabs are often seen ferrying 15-20 children.
{{/usCountry}}“We have no other option. Authorities are not ready to listen to our plight. We have to manage our expenses too,” said Raj Kumar, a van operator.