Students from the Neduvasal village, Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu have been facing hardships for over a year as the government bus changes its usual timings, reported The New Indian Express.
Despite submitting a petition demanding immediate action on this issue, no relief has been given to the students yet.
More than 60 students from the village are studying in Perambalur government school and private schools and colleges and depend on the government bus 17A for their daily commute. The bus used to arrive in this village at 8 am usually but for the last year, this bus has been reaching the village one hour earlier than the usual time.
The parents complained that the students wake up early in the morning and are unable to eat properly as they need to catch the bus. They added that the bus does not come regularly on a few days of the week and the students are severely affected by this.
Speaking to TNIE, T Ramkumar, a Class IX student from the village, said, “Currently, the exam is going on in the schools. However, we are forced to wake up early and catch the bus. Sometimes there is no time for us to take breakfast and lunchbox. In the afternoon we take lunch at the school canteen and outside shops. This apart, the bus does not come to the village one or two days a week. Due to this, our parents take us to school by two-wheelers. So, the authorities should take action to bring the bus to the village at 8 am, as usual.”
A few residents blamed the bus driver’s negligence as a reason behind the issue. “Not only the students but also the commuters are affected due to the early arrival of the bus. Only one government bus comes to the village in the morning. That too it is overcrowded. So, an additional bus should be ply in the village,” said M Sakthivel, a resident of Neduvasal village.
