CURCHOREM: Students travelling from Chandor and surrounding areas to Curchorem schools are demanding a bus service from Curchorem to Chandor or Margao via Xelvona, Assolda, as they reach homes very late after school hours in the evening.
Due to lack of public transport on this route in the evening, many students commuting along the route have to face hardships in getting back to their homes.
“Our lectures starts at 1 pm and finishes after 5.30 pm and since there is no bus after 4.20 pm, we are forced to take alternate route and catch the Curchorem to Margao bus via Quepem and alight at Gudi-Paroda to reach Chandor, resulting wastage of time and reaching very late in the evening,” said a girl student.
“Due to the absence of bus service, we have to wait for a lift for hours together from the private vehicles which are travelling on this route and sometimes it even get dark by the time we reach home,” said a higher secondary student emotionally.
Demanding to start bus service on priority basis, many parents said that their children including daughters have to take a longer route via Quepem and change the bus at Gudi-Paroda to reach Chandor or wait for a lift to reach home. “It really a matter of concern as many daughters have to travel late in the evening or ask for lifts to reach Xelvona, Assolda and Chandor after their classes, therefore the authorities must take cognisance of these hardships of the students and resolve the issue immediately,” demanded the father of a girl student.
The affected students brought to the notice of the O Heraldo, that the private bus which was plying earlier was leaving from Curchorem bus stand at 6 pm but later it was discontinued because of Covid-19 pandemic.
“Now, I bought a new bus and I am waiting for the permission to ply on the same route and time, which has been pending with the transport authorities for a quite long time,” said the owner of earlier bus.
