‘I pray each time my son takes a van’

One day, my son came home late because all the students, including some as young as sixyearsold, had to get off in the middle of a busy road as the vehicle’s engine had stalled due to overloading.

injured children, frequently published in newspapers, make me sad and also make me worry that much more.

While buses are relatively safe, in Delhi, vans are always at a risk. And it is not speeding that is a problem but overcrowding. Most of the vans used to ferry students are Maruti Omni, some of them 15-20 years old, or Ecco, which is relatively new. Some drivers carry up to 15 students in a vehicle designed for only eight.

With so much load – that includes the students’ bags – the vehicles are naturally not properly balanced and more susceptible to overturning. That is my biggest worry. One day, my son came home late because all the students, including some as young as six-years-old, had to get off in the middle of a busy road as the vehicle’s engine had stalled. What if the vehicle following it had rammed the van? What would have been the consequences?

I would have liked to avail of the school bus for my son but the route it takes is not too close to our house. And it makes no sense to make him walk half-a-kilometre every morning to catch the bus or reach home. As vans provide doorstep pick-up and drops, most parents prefer them.

It is true the government cannot be faulted for every accident, but the onus must be on the authorities to keep a tab on drivers, the condition of the vehicles and the number of students they ferry. A proper monitoring system could go a long way in ensuring the safety of our children and give us peace of mind.