SCHOOL TRANSPORT WOBBLES ON A SYSTEM ON FLAT TYRES

Two school children succumbed to injuries during the fatal accident that took place in Kuliyapitiya when a school van collided with a tipper truck in late August. Photos of the school van that went viral on social media highlighted the need to standardise school transport services with vehicles in better conditions. The government too had taken several steps such as restricting the entry of heavy vehicles into the city during school hours to minimise accidents. But demands to standardise school transport services are getting louder by the day.

- By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe

Samith Dhanushka had been operating a school transport service for the past 20 years. He travels from Kalutara and the children travelling in his school bus attend several schools in and around Colombo. Since most vehicles used for school transport are occupied during the week, their drivers try to attend to vehicle repairs during school hours. Sometimes they have to wait till the school holidays as the time available during the weekend isn't enough for mechanics to fix all defaults in vehicles.

"It is only if we take some private hires that we could pump fuel and earn an extra income," Dhanushka said speaking to the Daily Mirror. "We are doing a service, but during peak traffic hours, nobody gives us space. We have to send children to school on time and parents have vested that responsibility in us," he added.

Responding to a query about old vehicles, Dhanushka said that school transport vehicles are usually being maintained to ensure the safety of passengers who are mostly children. He said that even after 20 years of driving, he had still been unable to settle his lease. "This is the reality we all face. From the little that we earn, we have many expenses to bear," he further said.

The Daily Mirror learned that school transport services are self-employment opportunities for most individuals. "When a person starts a business on his own, he doesn’t have enough capital," said Lalith Chandrasiri, Secretary of All Island School Transport Association. "Many people feel that operating a school transport service is one of the easiest post-retirement job opportunities. Already former zonal educational directors and those who have retired from forces operate school transport services. Initially, many people had no clue about the quality of services that need to be provided. As a result, several associations were established to regulate the standard of school transport services," he explained.