As schools reopen in AP, auto rickshaws pack kids, flout social distancing norm

TIRUPATI: Clad in dark and purple uniforms, a group of six schoolchildren, all aged less than 12, was seen restlessly jostling for space in a share-auto on Ramachandrapuram Road near Tirupati.

While three children sit on the rear side of the auto, the other three sit on the back-seat, holding on to the already crowded seats.

A casual look at the auto rickshaws transporting schoolchildren in Tirupati rural showed that more students are packed into these vehicles than the allowed number. These scenes are not only found in Tirupati rural but in several parts of Chittoor district, during school hours.

The risk to life that these children face thus is either unknown to or are ignored by parents, schools and the authorities, especially the transport department.

While the safety and security of schoolchildren are compromised, another worrying factor is that auto drivers are flouting social distancing norms and ferrying students along with regular passengers, packed to more than the allowed capacity,  and risking the spread of Covid19.

Notably, if the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is  implemented, it may add more trouble to rural children studying in primary schools. A majority of them need to take these share-autos to travel more than three to five km every day to reach their new school.

“While the ‘Safe School guidelines explicitly stress on the safety and security of schoolchildren during pandemic times, a large number of auto-rickshaws are openly flouting safety norms by ferrying more children than the permitted capacity for the vehicle. Children often hang outside or are tightly stuffed inside the vehicles,” complained a parent, Domma Harikrishna.

While most private educational institutions run school buses, no government school provides buses to its students. Government school students use auto rickshaws, city buses and other means of transportation to reach schools and return home. The majority of children travelling by the autorickshaws belong to the lower stratas of the society.

“Even primary section students can be seen travelling in auto-rickshaws that have no basic safety features. We used to send children to state-run schools in our neighbourhood. If the NEP 2020 is implemented, we have to send them to schools located some four to five km away from our village,” said another parent, Ramachandraiah of Tirupati rural.