School van operators agree to follow guidelines

School van operators in the city agreed to end their strike and follow guidelines from Monday after receiving assurances from the district administration.

The van operators gathered at DC office and raised their issues. They complained that the traffic police along with district transport department are targeting the operators in the name of overloading and commercialisation of vehicles.

The operators complained that the police were also exploiting them in the name of over loading and demanding bribe.

It may be noted here that as mark of protest against the overloading check drive started by the district transport department and traffic police, the van operators had announced strike. The police recently carried raids at school vans seized their vehicles.

During the after the meeting, the van operators of Sakchi, Bistupur, Sonari and Kadma have agreed to call off the strike. “The van operators have been assured of no hassle from the administration and all the vehicles seized by the police would be released after minimum fine,” said an official.

A leader of Shikshit Berozgar School Vahan Chalak Sangh said, “We have decided to call off our strike because we do not want to make the children suffer due to the attitude of the administration. We are satisfied with the assurance and I would request all the van operators in the city to start functioning from tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, as people in the city reel under humid climate conditions, parents of students studying in English medium schools faced tough times with van operators strike continued on Saturday too. Parents are now pinning hopes that the transpiration would normalise from Monday.