The Hindu

• The district administration has directed schools to start before 8.30 a.m.
• The vans operate across large distances and pick up and drop children from different areas

Mangalore, Jun 21: The number of vehicles in Mangalore city has increased over the past few years. Children traveling in school vans particularly seem to be in danger considering the speed at which these vehicles move to make up for time.

Although the district administration has directed schools to start before 8.30 a.m. to ensure the safe travel of schoolchildren before the morning peak hour, drivers of these vans claim to be hard pressed for time and, therefore, travel at high speed from one pick up point to another.

According to the Taximen's Association, there are about 500 such vans operating within the city between Kodical and Mahakali Padpu, and Hoige Bazaar and Yeyyadi.

Each of these carry not less than 15 children and make at least two such trips.

Most vans operate across large areas and hence have to pick up and drop children from different parts of the city.

Even on bad roads these vans move at high speeds.

The city is full of undulations and this is not only dangerous for the children traveling in the van, but also for other vehicles.

The driver of a van, which carries schoolchildren from Lady Hill to Kodical, Mohan Suvarna said: "We are very careful, but the pressure to be on time is so much that we tend to drive at high speeds.

If there is a slight delay in dropping children at home from school, parents start making frantic calls."