Summary
Class VIII student P Vaishnavi faced problems reaching school after bus services in Ranga Reddy district were stopped owing to the pandemic
Responding to her letter, Chief Justice of India alerts TSRTC MD, asks for restoration of bus services to honour Right to Education
A teenager from Telangana has written to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), requesting for bus services to be restored in her village so that she and her peers can attend school without burning a hole in their pockets.
P Vaishnavi, a Class VIII girl from Chidedu village in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district, wrote to CJI N V Ramana, saying that she and her brother faced a lot of trouble commuting to school ever since bus services to Chidedu and other villages in the district were stopped owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vaishnavi, who lost her father to a cardiac arrest during the first COVID-19 wave, couldn’t afford the high auto-rickshaw fare to commute to school. Her mother is a small-time employee, so the brother-sister duo was finding it difficult to spend so much for conveyance.
Many families in the state have lost their sole earning member to the virus, leading to a financial crisis. Other students and villagers in the district are also facing similar difficulties.
Ramana immediately alerted the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation’s (TSRTC) managing director, V C Sajjanar, asking for the restoration of bus services for students during school hours in a bid to honour their Right to Education.
Sajjanar appreciated Vaishnavi’s initiative and thanked the CJI for alerting him on the issue. He also assured immediate restoration of bus services. According to the TSRTC, about 30 services have been made available for the villagers and students already.
In a press release by TSRTC on November 3, the transport body has asked the villagers to contact the manager of the nearest bus depot for restoration of services. In addition to that, they may also contact the TSRTC support team and tweet to the managing director’s office as well, if they face any transport glitches.
Most of the schools in Telangana have reopened in October for physical classes and the students have joined school with all the COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Transportation is steadily being regularised in the state. Passengers are being allowed inside public transport with masks, and social distancing is being maintained. The buses are avoiding overcrowding and, hence, more services have been restored.
Last updated on 05 Nov 2021
