The district transport office and traffic police will launch a drive against overloading in school buses, autorickshaws and mini buses after Chhath.

Schools in the city have been asked to ensure that no vehicle takes in even one more student over the seating capacity. Any vehicle spotted with a student standing would be seized during the drive. Action would also be taken against the school administration.

District transport officer, Patna, Dinesh Kumar Rai said: “The transport department and Patna traffic police held several meetings in the past with the school administrations, asking them to curb overloading in vehicles transporting students. They were asked to hold parents-teachers’ meeting to coordinate on the issue. But, they have hardly taken any action. Therefore, it has been decided to take strict action against the offenders. We will seize such vehicles and responsibility would be fixed on the school authorities too.”

Parents welcomed the decision. “I pay Rs 800 every month as my son’s bus fees. So, it is unfair that most days he has to stand on the bus. Such drives will benefit the children,” said Kankerbagh resident Ramesh Sharma.

Rai added that the schools have been given a week’s time to make arrangements to ensure that there is no overloading in the buses and autorickshaws. After a week, we would start the drive.

School authorities claimed that they would extend their co-operation to the district administration .

“We also want our students to be transported to and from school comfortably. We ensure that students do not stand in the buses and we ask the teachers, taking the buses, to keep a check. We discourage autorickshaws and ask the parents not to send their wards in these vehicles. Following this new directive, we will hire more buses to accommodate all the students,” said Ramanuj Prasad, principal, DAV, BSEB.

Operators running school buses, however, said incidents of overloading have reduced recently.

“Buses used to be overloaded with students till about a couple of years ago, but now the situation has improved. Now, it only happens in buses which have 2x2 or 3x3 seating arrangements,” said Sujit Pandey, the proprietor of Pandey Travels Private Ltd. Pandey’s buses are operated for St Michael’s High School.

Students though disagreed with the claims of the operators. “The buses, which travel through the central parts of the city and several residential areas, are mostly overloaded. The number of students standing in the buses is same as those sitting. It causes a lot of commotion and discomfort,” said a Class VIII student of DAV BSEB.