 Early Times Report
Jammu, July 13: Scores of van drivers held protests in Jammu on Saturday to demand revocation of the ban on carrying schoolchildren.
The van drivers took out a rally that passed through different parts of the city. The drivers said the ban on ferrying schoolchildren from July 17 would virtually render them unemployed. "Hundreds of families would be directly hit by this ban. It's an assault on our livelihood," they said.
The drivers said they were not challenging the ban which has been imposed by the honourable Supreme Court of India, but wanted that the administration should provide them an alternative once the order comes into effect.
The drivers said they have been ferrying the children from their homes to the schools for many years, as many schools do not have adequate transport facility. Also, since the school buses cannot pass through small streets and lanes, the vans pick kids from their homes and drop them back there. They said there has been rarely an accident involving a van carrying schoolchildren, which proves that the van drivers do their duty with utmost caution.
Meanwhile, as the drivers' rally was going on, Editor of Early Times Munish Gupta reached there and addressed the gathering. Munish, who will be contesting the forthcoming assembly election as an independent candidate from Gandhi Nagar constituency, told the drivers that he would make every effort to help the van drivers.
"Besides highlighting your plight, I will apprise the administration about the impact of the ban on your livelihood," Munish told the drivers. |
