A major tragedy was averted on Thursday when around 16 schoolchildren sustained minor injuries when a bus carrying them met with an accident at Chimpu, Itanagar. The school bus was reportedly hired by parents directly from the bus owner to ferry children to VKV Chimpu. The accident reportedly occurred because of a brake failure. Luckily, none of the students suffered any major injury. The incident is a wake-up call for the capital administration. There are many school buses, especially those operated by private bus owners and private schools, which are very old and in dilapidated condition.
These buses pose a serious threat to the life of students, teachers, drivers, etc, who travel on them. The majority of the buses are well past their service life and should be immediately retired. However, the greedy owners just give them a new paint and portray them as if the buses are still new. They continue to put them into service, putting the lives of children at risk. Unfortunately, the ICR administration is failing to take action against them. The motor vehicle inspectors should conduct checks on a regular basis to identify outdated vehicles and after that remove them from the road. The school authorities on their part also should hire or use only those vehicles which are fit for use. They should not put the lives of children at risk due to their greed.