Ensure students avail either car pool or school buses: Wb govt

Authorities of 26 prominent city schools have been asked by the West Bengal government to ensure that their students avail either car pool or school buses from April 1 to minimize vehicular pollution.

The School Education department in a notification last week has asked the school authorities to 'mandatorily introduce' a system where students are ferried in school buses or car pool and to ensure that guardians don't use personal vehicles to take their wards to the institution.

The guardians can be allowed to use personal vehicles "only in very emergent and exceptional cases" with proof, the notification, issued by the Commissioner of School Education, Saumitra Mohan, said.

 

The 26 institutions include South Point School, Modern High School for Girls, La Martiniere School for Boys/Girls, St Xavier's School, Don Bosco School Kolkata, St James School, Gokhale Memorial School, Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls High School, Future Foundation School.

The notification said as per recent directives of National Green Tribunal to maintain ambient air quality near big schools identified by Kolkata Police, the measure was taken.

A School Education department official said the notification was issued after chief secretary and senior police officials held meeting with representatives of big schools to ensure minimum traffic congestion during start of the school hours and closing time.

Father Bikash Mondal, Principal of Don Bosco School, Park Circus said "We have received the notification. After discussion with all stakeholders we will take a decision which will be acceptable to all including students."

A spokesman of La Martiniere School for Boys/Girls said "we had asked guardians in the past also to use pool cars, which can ferry a number of students, instead of taking out their own vehicle, individually for a student. We will again talk with them."

To a question, the spokesman said the pool cars, meant for ferrying their students will follow the safety norms and standards and the school will monitor their conditions.