[srishiva]

Its too simplistic to say its bad as long as there are alternatives to each and everyone. We (some in this country) have the money and exposure and thinking to not let our kids travel with 10 or more in an auto. What about others ? How many can afford ?
We are not living in a developed country. There are hundreds of issues like these in everyday life.

Will the schools take this responsibility as they do in the West ? How many schools do we have in a given area ? Can each one of them do this ? Can they afford to do this ?

Would I send my son in a transport like this ? No. But we need to understand that we don't live in a advanced or a scandic country.

[amit]

Originally Posted by khanak

And these are probably well-off and educated parents we are talking about. I wonder how many people use child seats in their cars.

Talking about well educated parents, a couple of days back, I was driving from Vashi to chembur on the Sion-Trombay highway and I saw a Honda Accord which had a elderly gentleman in the front passenger seat. He had a small 2-3 year old kid (probably his grandson) in his lap!

This in a car equipped with air bags! And this is a Rs.15 lac car customer we are talking about.

I saw a similar thing in a Innova V a couple of years back where a mother had her baby on her lap on the Palm Beach road.

The above incidents happened due to ignorance, I am sure. So what if people can afford cars costing a couple of millions.

As for the auto's carrying 15 kids. I have seen it everywhere. I guess it's a combination of having no other option (in certain areas) and the feeling Indians have that 'it's not going to happen me."

[diabloo]

School Bus - Us v Them

[DirtyDan]

It seems to me that there is a market here for some private person to step up and provide transport. Or, several parents could go socialist/communist and buy a suitable vehicle and driver. All to get it done SAFELY. The Vehicle could be used for running errands when not it use or could be a registered taxi with the parents running that business for the cost of the driver and maintenance. Sumo would probably be good, maybe Versa, I do not know. I am not going to RUN the numbers.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by amit

The above incidents happened due to ignorance, I am sure. So what if people can afford cars costing a couple of millions.

As for the auto's carrying 15 kids. I have seen it everywhere. I guess it's a combination of having no other option (in certain areas) and the feeling Indians have that 'it's not going to happen me."

What matters is affordability. Not every one can afford to have a car even nth hand one. There are a lot of other factors that play an important role here. Not everyone can even afford to take his car to drop kid to school.
Its certanily not that they are irresponsbile, but they are compelled to do this way.

If the schools take responsibility of transportation, then also, they will charge fantastic and again the issue of affordibility comes up.

[amtak]

Originally Posted by diabloo

School Bus - Us v Them

We V/s We. Lets not go international. We have too many options, just that we don't use it.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Hemanth

This is the common scene in Bangalore and Mysore where people got paid more than they expected and they want their kids to enjoy and experience what they could not do during their yunger days. Bad attitude.

Is there a remote modicum of sense in what you've written?

@Sam: Fully agree. Delhi has these idiotic omni cabs (CNG!) which do the same business. And driven by absolute buffoons. Scary it is. Happens all over - Mumbai, Gujarat, Delhi! But then, there are many who prefer traveling MBBS on bike - so overloaded auto is par for the course!!

That said, our school bus standards are WAY lax. And in Delhi, a CNG RTV runs at 1.25 Rs/km STILL omni cabs rule the roost. And parents need to be more responsible and drop their kids ALL the way to the bus station.

And child seats are an alien concept in our country. I've been unsuccessful in drilling sense into my own brother, so now I don't bother at all. All I do is belt up everytime I'm in a car. Can't go around saving the world, you see!

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by amtak

We V/s We. Lets not go international. We have too many options, just that we don't use it.

Exactly, most schools around my area do have proper school buses. It just happens that the current school doesn't have a bus route passing near my home. They say they can cover our route provided 3-4 parents avail the service.

[Sam Kapasi]

Samurai,
Your child. An extension of your life. I would have done the same and I am happy you aren't sending him in that mini cattle-cart.

We people don't know. We really don't know.

We take our little boys and place them in our lap and let them steer.
Bilkul papa pe gaya hai, dekho kaisa gaadi chalata hai.
One hand on the childs tummy and the other changing gears.

And when someone suddenly stops in front of you? When a cyclewallah jumps out of a galli? And you slam the brake?
And your Bilkul-Papa-pe-gaya-hai bangs his soft head on your steering wheel?

Whose fault is that? The cyclewallahs or yours?

Rickshaws overturn everyday. They aren't stable. Certainly not with 14 hyperactive monkeys inside.

I'd do the same Samu. Good on you. TheOne® also would never take kids anywhere without a kinderseat. There are many things in life one takes chances on.
Your kids is not one of them.

[srijit]

Are carpools popular? Wouldnt that make more sense than buying old cars?

Problem is that most people ( I include myself in this ) are too busy to even talk to their neighbours.

[ntomer]

I faced almost similar situation when my little one started going to school last year. Her bus stop is about 500 meters from our home; and many neighbours who have kids studying in the same school planned to hire a private maruti van for ferrying kids.

Wifey was also interested in this option because it was saving her the twice a day walk, but I put my foot down and ensured that Navya travels by school bus only. Although I had to but my wife a scooter but I guess it is worth the peace we have knowing that our child is in good hands.

\N

[Gregory]

If Im right in Bangalore the old ways of the overloaded autos taking kids to school has been stopped. They use Maruti Vans now.
These guys use dark tinted glass so no one can see how they stuff kids inside, sometimes its even worse than how they transport chickens.

[supremeBaleno]

@Samurai, you did the right thing. Maybe you could talk to other parents in your neighborhood and work out a kind of arrangement where 1 parent takes up the pickup/drop responsibility for a day each week. Makes life easy for everyone and the kids are also safe.

Same situation in Kerala. Had gone to pick up my niece some years ago and saw these overloaded autos, tempo, jeeps, Qualises etc. This overloaded Qualis was snapped by me in 2005 in front of her school. I could not count the number of kids jammed into the Qualis, with a couple more waiting to get in.



Tried to convince my BIL to set up a car pool with his brother and some other parents, whose kids also study in the same school. But he just dismissed the suggestion.

My niece had atleast 2 accidents while travelling to school in these contraptions - once the door opened just like that and she fell off onto the hot road, suffering burns from the tar. She was lucky that there was no vehicle behind the van.

Still parents (including my BIL) won't learn or take the extra effort either to drive the kids themselves or work out a suitable option with other parents. It is pathetic.

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by Samurai

....This is about the dangers in unorganized school transportation.
....
...Shouldn't this practice be banned, I can't even imagine how I can seat 14 kids in my SUV, let alone a rickshaw. ....When will this crazy practice end?

...

recently one of our relative who is working with RTA in a district booked a case against an autorikshaw guy for overloading in a 6+1 seater. (those diesel autos with steering wheel). Total number of people travelling in that rickshaw was 46+1!!!!!!

In Hyderabad, the traffic police have enforced a rule that an autorikshaw can not carry more than 6 school children in an autorikshaw

Originally Posted by amtak

The other TATA - Winger, Hindustan RTV (School bus mode), Eicher Sykline buses. TATA Magic.

Originally Posted by diabloo

The question is, what are the alternatives?

We sell autos which are similar to those 6+1 autos but just smaller shorter by 6 inches in the length. Space utilisation concept has been used extensively while designing this auto to increase the space to seat in 15 Adults with little modification!!!!! .

Surprising thing is that the auto is supposed to be a 3+1 and the quarterly tax is 120/-. This was also a reason for the demise of the 6+1 autos here in Andhra Pradesh as the quarterly tax for a 6+1 is around 1200/-

Also the cost of such a vehicle is 1,41,000/- on road!!! while the vehicle like winger costs around 6,00,000/-. Even the lesser priced passenger variant of ace known as magic cost around 3,00,000/- !!!!

So which vehicle do these autoguys prefer to buy???.

No I am not offering an alternative. Just informing all what kind of $hit happens around.

[diabloo]

Thats true for rest of the parents. Everything is in God's grace. 99.99% of accidents don't happen. If it happens, then its will of God, its karma. Maybe they haven't pleased the Gods. Or the stars are not in correct position.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

My niece had atleast 2 accidents while travelling to school in these contraptions - once the door opened just like that and she fell off onto the hot road, suffering burns from the tar. She was lucky that there was no vehicle behind the van.

Still parents (including my BIL) won't learn or take the extra effort either to drive the kids themselves or work out a suitable option with other parents. It is pathetic.