School buses stuck in a snarl near the under-construction flyover on Bailey Road in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, June 23: The road to some schools in Danapur and Khagaul is no more smooth. The students’ journey to institutions has become agonising.

The students of Gyan Niketan, Radiant International School, DAV Khagaul, Delhi Public School, Patna, RPS Residential School and others have to brave endless traffic snarls on Bailey Road everyday, thanks to an under-construction flyover. The railway is constructing it.

On the way to school, they constantly fear that they would be late. On the way back home, they often have to wait for hours.

More than 100 school buses ply on the stretch five days a week. Sources said the most common time for snarls are between 6 and 8 in the morning and 1.30pm and 3.30pm. It can take a school bus around two hours to cross the 1.3-km-long stretch on some days. On other days, it takes around 20 minutes, though the journey time should be no more than five minutes.

Shashank Shekhar, a Class X student of Gyan Niketan, said: “We get hurt at times, as the bus ride on the stretch is bumpy and uncomfortable, thanks to the potholes. We also have to wait for long in the traffic snarls. Earlier, it used to take around five minutes to cross the stretch. Now it takes around 20 minutes. On other days, we are trapped for around one-and-a-half to two hours.”

Another student, Nikhil Chandra, got late for his CBSE Class XII physics examination because of a snarl on the stretch.

“I could do nothing but curse my luck for the delay,” said Nikhil. He was 45 minutes late to the examination hall.

Radhika K., the principal of Radiant International School, said: “It is surprising that in a capital city like Patna it is taking more than three years to complete the construction of a flyover. The situation gets worse on rainy days because of waterlogging at different places on the 1.3-km-long stretch.”

The school had to extend its summer vacation and reopened only on June 22 instead of June 20, courtesy the problems. The principal said: “The construction has started but there is no improvement in the drainage system. As a result, we have to tolerate the unbearable stench of garbage. Steps should be taken to complete the construction as soon as possible.”

Pranav Kumar Pandey, a parent, said: “Much time is wasted because of the snarls on this stretch. Children have to face a lot of problems, especially in the monsoon, because of the potholes on the road.”

Officials responsible for the construction of the bridge, however, have a number excuses at hand.

Mukesh Kumar, deputy chief engineer, Ganga bridge, under whose supervision the overbridge is being constructed, said: “We faced many construction problems. The agency that was first awarded the contract failed to complete the work. Now, another agency has been given the duty.”

He added that the construction would be completed by the second week of July.

Child specialist Dr Abhinav Kumar said: “If children are stuck in a traffic snarls for long, it can lead to dehydration. In adverse weather conditions, they can also suffer from heatstroke. If they drink unsafe water, they can also suffer from diarrhoea. Because of staying in the open for long, they can be infected with communicable diseases like chicken pox.”

Shivdeep Lande, superintendent of police, traffic, told The Telegraph: “Children should be given priority. School buses, like ambulances, can be permitted to pass first, especially in the morning and afternoon, when schools start or get over We will issue instructions for this.”