2,000 school vehicles off the road in Pimpri-Chinchwad

The one-day strike of an association of school bus operators hit parents and students alike in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Tuesday.

Some schools declared a holiday to avoid inconvenience to parents, while most schools conducted regular classes. Some buses owned by school managements plied on the roads.

Parents expressed deep disappointment over the strike. There was a tremendous rush of parents on the road, especially in Nigdi-Pradhikaran and Pimpri, early in the morning.

Riya Bhosale, a resident of Telco Road, whose daughter studies in a Nigdi school, had taken half a day off from work to drop her daughter to school. Her husband took a half day off to take the child back home from school. The parents expressed anger over the strike.

Neha Bajaj, resident of Chinchwad said, “The association has to think about students and parents while taking such steps. As the public transport system in Pimpri-Chinchwad is so weak, how should parents tackle such situations?”

There was a tremendous rush at the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) bus stop in the morning as the younger students opted for public transport. SK Pujari, a standard X student said, “I do not want to bunk school as the board exams are round the corner. So I preferred the public transport system.”

Gulamali Bhaldar, advisor to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Vidyarthi Vahatuk Sangh, told DNA they had supported the school bus strike.

He said nearly 2,000 school vehicles, including vans, mini-buses and heavy buses, did not ply.