Pondi Univ now appeals to Govt for additional student buses, after withdrawing free bus service

After they decided to withdraw their free bus services owing to a fund crunch, the Pondicherry University (PU) administration has made an appeal to the Government of Puducherry to ply additional student buses so that rural and urban students from various parts of the city can commute to the varsity, a university official said.

An official press release from the varsity put out on Sunday, July 14, stated that "Dr B Chithra, Registrar, Pondicherry University participated in the deliberations of Puducherry State Planning Board Meeting held on July 13, Saturday, at the Chief Secretariat, Government of Puducherry and made an appeal to the Government of Puducherry to provide more bus facilities to facilitate transportation of rural and urban students studying at Pondicherry University to reach University and return home after attending classes."

The government maintained student buses that are already plying in Puducherry cost a minimum of Rupee 1 from various rural and urban parts of Puducherry on various routes to benefit students studying in educational institutions across several parts of the Union Territory. Earlier, the varsity had been providing free transport to students in order to facilitate their commute from their home to university and back. The administration withdrew this facility in March this year, which led to several protests by students on campus. The university, which had extended free transportation facility since its inception in 1985, said then that they will collect Rs 4000 for transport from each student per semester.

Students affiliated to the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and other unions had staged agitations inside the campus demanding the continuation of the free transportation facility. The administration at the time had assured that they will take an appropriate decision to resolve the issues raised by the students.

In the recent press release, the administration stated that due to financial crunch and constraints, the varsity is not able to sustain free transport facility to students who commute from within the city. "Hence the Registrar, who represented Pondicherry University in the State Planning Board Meeting held on July 13 made an appeal to the government to ply additional student buses," said K Mahesh, Assistant Registrar, PU.