Officials must hear out school bus operators

Traffic police will take the final call on shutting Gokhale Road bridge for the public from next week. Pic/Nimesh Dave

School bus operators are in talks with the authorities to change the timings of some schools in and around Andheri. The closure of the Gokhale Road bridge has resulted in the diversion of vehicles to new routes, increasing travel

As drivers are unable to manage multiple shifts and adhere to school timings, the School Bus Owners Association (SBOA) will discuss with authorities the possibility of ending the school day slightly earlier.

A tweak in timings will be good all around as it will help school buses negotiate the area within a specific time.

The bridge is going to be dismantled soon, so solutions have to be worked out, alternative routes discussed, and those in power and those who can influence policy and change need to come to the table to dispel chaos resulting from the closure and demolition of this connector. Since this will be a long process, it is better to start talking and resolving problems.

When it comes to school buses, we must take note of pressing issues and start looking at them with urgency. Children are sure to get exhausted by lengthy commutes. Even the bus helps and the drivers tend to be on edge.

Today, it is time to get to ‘smart timing'. If the school management and school bus authorities can come together and see if some tweaks are possible in order to ease the situation, the entire ecosystem will benefit. There may be positives for the children at first. But they may extend to staffers of the school who do not use the school bus but have to commute to work and ease congestion for other vehicles.

One hopes for a fruitful dialogue between the bus authorities and schools, for the sake of our precious children.