Buses run by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are the lifeline for thousands of students, as they crisscross the city commuting between their places of learning and home.
Buses run by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are the lifeline for thousands of students, as they crisscross the city commuting between their places of learning and home.
In order to ensure that the bus journeys are safer, better and comfortable for the student community, the BMTC, in collaboration with Childline Bangalore, a voluntary organisation, on Monday conducted a day-long workshop to sensitise drivers and conductors to the need to ensure a safe ride to schools.
About 70 drivers, conductors, depot managers and trainers working with the BMTC attended the workshop hosted at the Shantinagar depot. Experts and officials from BMTC and Childline Bangalore interacted with the participants at the workshop.
“Children between 5-18 years, most of whom are school and college students, form a huge portion of passengers who commute daily in BMTC buses. Through the workshop, we hope to sensitise our employees about the need to safeguard children’s rights and issues as they travel daily in the BMTC buses,” said GG Hedge, principal human research development, BMTC.
As part of the workshop, experts stressed the need to reserve a few seats for students, address problems of girl commuters who are often victims of abuse in buses, have designated bus bays near schools and colleges and reduce the height of buses from the ground to help young children board them with ease.
“The idea of holding the workshop is to sensitise drivers and conductors to the need to make buses safer, secure and comfortable for students. We have received several complaints from children about the difficulties they face when travelling in buses,” said Nagasimha G Rao, nodal supervisor of Childline Bangalore.
“The common grouse of students is that they have nobody to address their issues. So, we wanted the drivers and conductors who man these buses to address them. This workshop is an attempt to bring to their notice the difficulties and problems faced by children when they travel in buses,” Rao added.
There are about 6,100 BMTC buses and about 5,800 schedules are operated daily. According to BMTC, about 42 lakh passengers, including students, commute daily in its buses.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}