Peshawar students transport problem
Students facing transport problem in Peshawar
Peshawar, Nov 13: Student community in the provincial metropolis are facing transport
problem, as there are hundreds of educational institutions here but transport
arrangement for thousands of students is insufficient. Though many institutions
have their own arrangement for the pick and drop of their students, yet it is
not sufficient to facilitate the entire community. It is reported that a large
number of students coming from suburbs of city reach their respective schools
and colleges through private transport, the drivers and conductors of which
usually misbehave with them. Several students shared their sufferings and rude
behaviour of the transporters. A student, Gul Rehman said the school and college
buses ply only on specific routes and he has to use local transport to reach his
college. "This is one of the major problems for all those who come from
outstation," he said. Students complained that majority of local transporters do
not stop their buses on stops where they are waiting. Mahmud Jan, a college
student, said due to financial problems, he couldn't pay full fare of the bus,
while transporters do not allow them the student concession. Sana Ali, another
student, said particularly girl students have to wait for a long time to find a
seat due to which they often reach their college late. She demanded the
concerned authorities to provide sufficient buses for colleges, especially
women's colleges. The parents also complained about the rash driving of school
and college van/buses drivers and said that there are many examples on how
drivers of school and college buses in the city pander to careless driving to
reach their destinations in time. In most parts of the City, the speed of the
vehicles goes unchecked. The drivers pay scant regard to the safety of kids
seated inside these vehicles. Occasionally negligible accidents in which
school/college buses are involved are reported in the city and suburbs, happily
with no grievous injury to students.ss Apart from driving in a rash and slipshod
manner, blowing horns within the city limits, particularly near hospital zones,
and drivers talking over mobile phone while driving go unchecked. It poses a
threat to other motorists and pedestrians. Judging by the appearance of the
school vehicles there is every reason to believe that greater part of them is
much, much worse. Realizing the problems involved in the transport of kids, some
parents assign the task to private operators. Just a very few institutions care
for the school kids by closely monitoring the mode of transport used by their
students. Though many parents have switched over to private vans after realizing
the risks involved in sending their wards in jam-packed school buses, private
drivers also drive heedlessly. Many parents expect a more dependable role by the
educational institutions and private van owners in providing a safe ride for the
students. By plainly breaking traffic rules in connection with transporting
school students to their schools from home and vice-versa, the school buses and
parallel services are jeopardizing lives of hundreds of school kids. Though the
traffic police have given clear guidelines to vehicles plying with school kids,
a usual site that one sees on road is school kids stuffed in these vehicles.
Transport planners say accidents involving vehicles transporting school kids can
be avoided if the authorities take steps to employ the traffic rules. As per the
guidelines, only experienced vehicle drivers should be allowed to drive vehicles
engaged in transporting school kids. Drivers booked twice for traffic-related
offences should not be put on duty and school buses should not exceed the speed
limit. It should also be made mandatory to equip vehicles carrying school kids
with first aid boxes, fire extinguishers, grills on windows, school bag tray
under the seat and provision for water. Besides, a board stating that it is on
'school duty' should be placed while transporting school kids. In the absence of
effectual crackdown by the traffic police on careless drivers, more and more
people are entering this lucrative business. The convenience of picking up
school kids from their doorstep and high rates has resulted in the mushrooming
of private school kids vans. Vehicles with kids sitting on both sides of the
driver's seat and bags hung all over and small vans carrying over two-dozen
students with bags loaded on top are a normal sight these days. The parents said
that school transports were charging high fees even of short distance like in
Hayatabad school pick-ups are charging Rs.1500 per child whereas school buses
were taking Rs.1200 per student. They said any parent having three or four
school going kid have to pay five to six thousand rupees only for transport fee
besides the high school fees. Even reputed schools carry more than the permitted
number of children in their buses. Often they have the younger ones sit 3 to a
seat, and the older ones sit 2 to a seat.
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Perceptions on uniform education system
Peshawar: People have different perceptions on uniform system of education in
Pakistan. To find out what the public feel about one system of education
available through out the country, a survey was carried out by Gallup Pakistan.
According to this survey, more than half of all respondents (51%) support one
system of education available to everyone in Pakistan, 38% disagree with that
and 11% of the respondents were unsure. A nationally representative sample of
men and women from across the country were read out a list of statements and
were asked "People in Pakistan have different viewpoints. Please tell us whether
you agree or disagree with the following statement?" Regarding the various
systems of education available within the country, majority expressed their
disapproval. 51% agree that 'Without one system of education we can not unite as
one nation', whereas 38% disagree, and 11% of the respondents were not sure. The
findings of the survey reveal that a proportionately higher percentage of
urbanites (59%) as compared to their rural counterparts (47%) believe there
should be a uniform system of education for everyone. The study was released by
Gilani foundation and carried out by Gallup Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of
Gallup International. The latest survey was carried out among a sample of 2765
men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of the country. F.P Report
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KUST VC recovery demanded
Peshawar: The faculty members of the Centre of Biotechnology, University of
Peshawar, have asked the NWFP governor to take measures for early and safe
recovery of Prof Dr Lutfullah Kakakhel, Vice-Chancellor of the Kohat University
of Science and Technology, kidnapped recently. The demand was made
through a unanimous resolution by the faculty and staff members of the centre at
a meeting presided by director of the centre Prof Dr Bashir in the chair. They
expressed solidarity with Prof Dr Khoussia Lutfullah, wife of the abducted VC,
who one held the office of director of the centre and presently is a faculty
member. The participants of the meeting appealed to kidnappers to release
the vice-chancellor because he was serving the under-privileged and less-
educated youth of southern districts and adjoining tribal region.
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Health professionals wind up workshop
Peshawar: Increased awareness of statistical considerations, more stress on
concepts applications not calculations and more focus on data than lecturing was
the theme of the three-day workshop for health professionals. Organised by the
Directorate of Research and Development of Khyber Medical University on 'Bio
Statistics and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS),' the workshop was
attended by medical students, faculty members and health professionals. Dean of
Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) Professor
Dr Arshad Javed was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony, while Vice
Chancellor Prof Dr Hafizullah was also present on the occasion. The news
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