On Tuesday, October 10, the Karnataka High Court granted eight weeks to the Government of Karnataka to submit the final outcome regarding the debate which is ongoing about easing traffic in Bengaluru by considering flexible timings for schools as well as factories, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
A division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit passed the order. This was after the Additional Advocate General (AAG) informed the court about the discussions when the court was hearing a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) which was filed by Samarpana Socio-Cultural Organisation over the widening of Ballari Road, on the last date of the hearing.
The AAG submitted that as per the suggestion of the court, the Government of Karnataka sought response from different stakeholders regarding flexible timings and a meeting regarding the same was held on October 5 with officers of the labour department and stakeholders, including representatives of industrial organisations, factories, and chambers of commerce.
Also, on October 9, Monday, a meeting was held with the school education department. In this meeting, stakeholders from the parents' association, private and unaided schools, and transport and traffic departments also participated.
If more time is granted, the state may hold further meetings and then submit a comprehensive report before the court, the AAG prayed. Accordingly, the court granted eight weeks.
No one wants timing change
It may be recalled that in Monday's meeting, school managements, parents, teachers, traffic police and private transportation associations were unanimously against change in school timings.
They said it would have negative consequences on the health of children and prove to be problematic for parents as starting school early would mean parents, midday meal makers (who otherwise begin their day at 4.30 am) will also have to wake up early, including teachers.
Ritesh Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, had said there were some ground realities which needed to be analysed before making any decisions. He added that Bangalore City Police has identified eight hotspots, including Central Business District (CBD) and some locations near Outer Ring Road (ORR) where measures will be taken to regulate traffic.
Many associations said that not all congestion in the city is due to schools, and the government should find alternatives.
Shashi Kumar D, General Secretary, Association of Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka (KAMS) said, “Parents enrolling wards in the CBD area should be made to sign an undertaking to use only public or school transport, instead of personal vehicles.” He added that the government should consider staggering the time of vehicles entering the city during early hours, as they end up getting stuck in traffic during school timings.
Other suggestions included pooling resources and securing BMTC buses for schools that don’t have private buses. This can reduce congestion in the area where schools are located on the same road. Parents said this initiative will also trim expenditures as private transport costs up to Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000 annually for each student.
