JOURNEY TO school for young children is hazardous. Due to lack of public conveyance and school buses, most of children opt for rickshaws, which often carry more than the fixed number of students and are sometimes exposed to road mishaps.
Many prestigious public schools in the city do not have enough number of buses for short distances and the school authorities give contract to private rickshaw-pullers or the rickshaw companies to provide conveyance to the students. In order to earn more money, these rickshaw owners often take more than the fixed number of students. But neither the school authorities nor the traffic controllers take notice of this violation of laws and let the children complete their journey everyday amidst unsafe conditions.
Due to overload, sometimes the rickshaw-pullers ask some students to get down and push the rickshaws from behind for their convenience. These students unaware of the fast traffic get down from the moving rickshaw and get in as soon as the rickshaw moves fast on the slope.
During the past six months, at least half-a-dozen students received injuries while helping the rickshaw pullers. They were either hit by the two-wheelers coming from behind or they just lost control and slipped on the road and received face injuries or hairline arm fractures.
{{/usCountry}}During the past six months, at least half-a-dozen students received injuries while helping the rickshaw pullers. They were either hit by the two-wheelers coming from behind or they just lost control and slipped on the road and received face injuries or hairline arm fractures.
{{/usCountry}}Besides, there are open rickshaws with long wooden benches fixed on it used for carrying children. They too carry more than the fixed number of students. The bench in front of the main seat of the rickshaw remains abnormally long and poses threat to the commuters. On several occasions, the traffic police started the drive against the long benches but to no avail. Now, the police authorities also seem to have tired of correcting the rickshaw pullers and allow them to carry children amidst threats to their personal safety.
According to Kanpur Nagar Nigam records, there are over 5000 registered and an equal number of unregistered rickshaws plying on the road transporting more than 40,000 schoolchildren everyday.