A senior citizen takes his grandchildren to school on a two-wheeler in Patna on Monday. Pictures by Ashok Sinha

Attending classes became an uphill task for students on Monday because of the one-day strike of State School Bus Owners’ Association and Auto Men’s Association, resulting into poor attendance in institutions.

Don Bosco Academy registered 20 per cent less attendance compared to other days. The turnout was thinner at St Michael’s High School, Notre Dame Academy and Loyola High School also.

Around 700 private buses ferrying schoolchildren were off roads on Monday in protest against the drive of the administration to stop overloading. So were around 5,000 autorickshaws and vans.

Students who struggled to reach schools were miffed with the private school bus owners. Aatif Ahmed, a Class VII student of Don Bosco Academy, had a tough time going to his school. He said: “I learnt about the strike only when I reached the bus stand. I did not have time to go back to the hostel because I was late. I had to borrow money from a friend to manage the auto fare for going to the school.”

Sudhanshu Shekhar, a Class XII student of St Michael’s High School, said: “I had my mathematics test, but I reached school 10 minutes late and my teacher punished me. I had to stand outside the classroom for 10 minutes.”

Despite his suffering, Shekhar hailed the district administration’s ongoing drive against overloading in school buses and vans. “Students can be found standing in most of the private buses taking the Boring Road. This is a bad practice. Students of the senior sections might not face problem because of overloading but what about the junior students?”

Shekhar’s classmate Preeti Singh said: “One of my friends is suffering from backache because he travels standing in school bus. The private buses and vans should not be allowed to continue with the practice of overloading.”

Students suffering because of the overloading practice might get relief sooner than later. An official press note issued by the office of the Patna divisional commissioner stated that members of the Auto Men’s Union met commissioner ELSN Bala Prasad on Monday evening and assured that they would co-operate in checking the overloading practice.

Not only the students, guardians also had a harrowing time because of the strike.

Kalidas Sinha, the assistant secretary of Bihar School Examination Board who came to drop her daughter at Notre Dame Academy, said: “I am more stressed thinking that I would have to come back to take my daughter home. It would be really difficult for me because there is too much work pressure in my office.”

Shikha Singh, a homemaker, had to skirt household chores for dropping her children at Loyola High School.

Seventy-six-year-old year old S. Sampat, a retired employee of a private firm, had to drop his grandchild at Loyola High School. He did not even get time to dress up properly as he came to the school in shorts.

“Why can’t the schools develop a system and have their own fleet of buses? Just because they are not providing us transportation facility, we are forced to depend on private bus owners who function according to their own will. The administration’s initiative will only result into fare hike,” said Sampat.

Several city schools denounced the strike and supported the administration’s drive, though. “We have received many complaints from parents about overloading but we can’t do anything in this matter except requesting the private bus owners to stop the practice,” said Mary Alphonsa, principal, Don Bosco Academy.