Protest staged against speeding private buses in front of school in Kochi

A protest against speeding private buses endangering the lives of students, parents and teachers of the Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Ernakulam, was held in front of the school under the aegis of the Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) of the higher secondary, high school, upper primary and lower primary sections on Thursday evening.

This followed an accident in which a private bus, which was allegedly speeding, knocked down a two-wheeler, seriously injuring a high school student who was left with a fractured hand, and her father in front of the school in the morning. Lena K. Lalu, a ninth-standard student, and a member of the Student Police Cadet (SPC), was on her way to school for a programme of SPC at Kaloor when the accident occurred.

She is undergoing treatment at the Ernakulam General Hospital and may need surgery to fix her fractured hand. Following the incident, high school headmistress Diana C.A. lodged a complaint with the police.

“Speeding private buses have been posing a problem for quite some time now. Two years ago, a middle-aged man was fatally knocked down by a bus while he was crossing the road. It has become a common practice for private buses to stop in front of the school rather than at the bus stop ahead. During the protest, we made the buses stop at the bus stop rather than in front of the school. We will launch a protracted protest unless an immediate solution is forthcoming,” said Sumi Joy Oliapuram, PTA president for high school and higher secondary sections.

PTA presidents for upper primary and lower primary sections Shiju K.P., and Siju P.N., Sabu Jacob, headmaster, lower primary section, Asha T., headmistress, upper primary section, and Ms. Diana participated in the protest. The placard-bearing protest was followed by a protest meeting.

Published - October 10, 2024 07:25 pm IST