Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal
Around 7500 school buses and vans will go off the roads on Wednesday as the School Bus Operators’ Association has decided to suspend services. They allege harassment by the administration and the police. A meeting between the district administration and bus operators failed on Tuesday.
The school bus and van operators association had earlier said that they would observe strike on Wednesday against harassment by district administration besides other demands. They also protested against the police asking for character certificates of the drivers and conductors.
The bus operators held talks with the district administration officials at the collectorate on Tuesday but the meeting failed to resolve the issues. While the bus operators have alleged that they are being harassed by the police, the officials said the operators must follow the Supreme Court guidelines in this regard.
The School Bus Operators Association president Shiv Kumar Soni said that over 7500 buses would not ply in protest against administration’s orders. He said bus operators have to work under intense pressure and even the school management is not helpful.
Soni said bus operators are treated like criminals when they ask for character certificates at the police station. Replying on the length of the strike, Soni said that future strategy about the strike would be decided on Wednesday, till then parents would have to manage sending their children to schools themselves.
Meanwhile the district administration is likely to issue notices to the schools who have not updated information about number of students, buses and their drivers and conductors on district administration portal. Sources revealed the administration would press for cancellation of the affiliation of schools that have not provided information about buses and drivers.
