Date:11/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/11/stories/2007051119200500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Plan to start classes early awaiting Government nod

Karnataka Bureau

The idea is to ease traffic congestion in Bangalore city

Proposal was framed after discussions among departments

Final decision after meeting on May 16: Horatti

Bangalore: Government, aided and unaided schools in Bangalore city may have to start classes at 8.30 a.m. from the next academic year if a proposal by the Education Department, pending before the Government, is cleared.

The proposal, intended to ease the traffic situation in the city, was framed following six rounds of meetings among officials of Education Department, Transport Department and the traffic police. The Education Department also conducted a survey on the distances travelled by children in Bangalore to reach their schools. Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti told The Hindu that a meeting of all the stakeholders would be held on May 16 to arrive at a final decision. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) might pitch in by augmenting its services before 8.30 a.m. The corporation is engaged in discussions with the Education Department on the issue, while the city police have decided to take it up for a detailed discussions at the officers' meeting on Monday.

Managing Director of BMTC P. Upendra Tripathi said a top official was seeking official information on the number of schools switching over to new timings from the new academic year.

Schedules

Once the number of students going to school early became known area-wise, BMTC would be able to decide the number of schedules it might have to run to help them.