Close shave for schoolgirls as van catches fire
LUCKNOW: Eight girls of St Agnes’ Loreto Day School had a narrow escape as the school van carrying them home caught fire near Dalibagh crossing on Friday afternoon. However, the driver promptly stopped the vehicle and pulled the girls out, so they escaped unhurt.
The fire broke out due to faulty wiring, the van driver said.
The incident occurred at around 2 pm when the van was on its way to Dalibagh to drop a girl. As soon as the driver set the ignition, he noticed smoke and stopped the vehicle. With the help of portable fire extinguisher, he doused the fire, averting a major tragedy. Then he and a few passersby pulled the girls out of the van and left them in the house of a student in the area. The driver then informed the parents of the girls to collect their wards. The anxious parents rushed to the site and were relieved to see their girls safe.
“A major tragedy was averted, as the school kids were brought out in time due to the efforts of the van driver and locals after the fire broke out,” a cop said.
In May this year, a similar incident took place in Wazirganj area. But in that incident, two students of St Francis’ College and driver of the van carrying them were injured as flames engulfed the vehicle.
TIME TO SAY ‘NO’ TO UNFIT SCHOOL VEHICLES
Jampacked vans with school bags hanging from ungrilled windows are a routine sight on city roads.
“You will not find any seat belts either,” says Renu, whose children go to school in one such van. But she has to take the risk as there is no state transport system for schoolkids.
The manager of a school says acute shortage of school vehicles has prompted unauthorised operators to cash in on the situation. The shortage opens gates for tempos, vans and private buses to serve as school transport.
“Unauthorised operation of school vehicles is rampant in the city. The schools are not willing to pay heed to the issue of safe transportation of their students. In the past, they never bothered to respond to our notices,” said a transport department staff.
According to police, in many cases it was found that drivers of school vehicles were in their early 20s.
“It is the duty of the parents to ensure that they do not risk the lives of their kids by sending them in vehicles being driven by inexperienced drivers,” a traffic cop said.