Mangaluru: Children from various schools poured their woes at a grievance meeting chaired by Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) member KT Thippeswamy. Children highlighted various issues, including a lack of doors in private buses, making children stand on footboards, the absence of traffic cops/zebra crossings near schools, street dogs’ menace and drunkards near schools, noise pollution, sale of tobacco products, and other problems during the meeting.The grievance meeting on the implementation of the RTE Act was organised by the commission in association with the Directorate of Child Rights Protection, district administration, zilla panchayat, and various departments at Sri Ramakrishna School, Bunts Hostel, here on Monday.
“While many private bus drivers rashly drive vehicles, children are made to travel on footboards in the city,” said a student from a private school, highlighting the possibility of accidents.Meanwhile, another student highlighted the issue of the lack of KSRTC buses to the city from remote areas. The student also mentioned that most private buses always operate with excessive passenger loads during peak hours.Thippeswamy instructed officials to send a resolution recommending immediate action against private buses violating rules. “We observed that in the coastal belt, there is a shortage of KSRTC buses. The commission wrote to the transport department principal secretary to implement a child-friendly transport system in the state. All routes where the number of student commuters is higher should be mapped, and additional buses should be introduced. The principal secretary also issued a circular in this regard to all KSRTC depots,” he said.The commission member said that state-level issues raised during grievance meetings will be sent to the govt with recommendations.Children’s visits to police stationsThippeswamy said that schools should take children in batches to the nearest police station at least once a year. The initiative, to be implemented jointly by the education and police departments, is aimed at creating a friendly bond between children and police.Karnataka is the only state that planned such a unique programme in the entire nation. Discussions in this regard are underway with the police department, and a circular making children’s visits to police stations mandatory will be issued soon. Accordingly, schools will have to take children in batches to police stations and have fruitful interactions with officials, he said. Children should have knowledge of Special Juvenile Police Units, Child Welfare Police Officers, and their contact numbers.
