Helpless parents have no choice but to choose private vans for kids in Delhi

With the accident of a school van killing a student and injuring 17, parents across the Capital are now skeptical on the use of such private vehicles for their kids. While some parents prefer them for being cheap means of transport, some say they have no choice as the school vans are not available in their locality like Wazirpur JJ Colony.

According to the Delhi government's Transport Department, as many as 70,000-80,000 cabs plying illegally as school vans are flouting all the safety norms in the Capital. However, parents have no idea about the safety norms to be followed for hiring these cabs. "We don't know the checks and balances to be followed while hiring them. We don't even have the luxury to give it a thought as they are the only option we have in our locality to send our children to schools," said Shankar Singh, a resident, Wazirpur JJ Colony.

Some parents prefer them for being a cheap mode of transport. "The school bus charges Rs 1500 a month which is Rs 500 more than a private vehicle. I have three school going children and I save Rs1500 a month by choosing private vehicles," said a parent in East Delhi's Trilokpuri.

As per the Directorate of Education (DoE) guidelines, school principals should conduct at least one meeting every 6 months with parents to discuss the safety of children in private vans. However, the parents claim that no such meetings are being organised. "I have never got any information about any such meeting being held at my son's school," said Dipti Kumari, a parent in Wazirpur JJ Colony.

Officials at private schools, however, said that parents should opt for school vans as they follow all the required guidelines. "School vans are always under surveillance as they are being tracked by mobile apps. There is always an attendant in these vans and they follow the minimum speed criteria of 30km/hr," said Bharat Arora, gen secretary, Action committee of unaided-recognised private school Delhi.