Kolkata: As students prepare to return to schools starting this week after the 20-month gap, school trips will be very different.
Most parents consider dropping themselves.
The rest are still in two thoughts – whether to send their children on the school bus and pool cars like before or not.
Swimming pool car owners and school bus operators have very few takers.
Class-X Oishi Ghosh students have been very excited to return to the new senior classroom and meet old friends at the Mahadevi Birla World Academy.
So it has become his mother, who is among the few who has paid a 50% carpool operator from the cost of all this month waiting with enthusiasm for the day.
But when the real day has arrived, they are in two thoughts.
“He has a council test from next week himself and I have no intention of sending it in Carpool now.
I plan to drop it in our own car for a few days he has to go to school in the next few weeks.
We will receive a call whether to send him or not in Carpool later, “said Sujata Ghosh, a resident of Kasba.
Tamali Chowdhury, a single mother, also through the same dilemma, even though he has paid school bus fees for his son at DPS Ruby Park until December this year.
“I was still shivering about Covid’s situation, our city in two months after school opened in February.
I have chosen the offline study and fortunately, my child is safe.
Even now, I will send my son to school but I will avoid sending him to the bus The school is only to minimize the chances of infection, “Chowdhury said, a resident of Madurdaha.
There are also a large number of parents such as Sinjini Chowdhury from Santoshpur and Kishalay Basu from Behala who have de-list of their children – each South Point student – from billiard cars and school buses, respectively to avoid excess costs.
They did not intend to register at least for this session.
Dutta Sudip, Secretary of the Welfare Association of Pool Car Owners There are almost no parents who contact them and estimate that almost 1% -2% of 3,500 billiards registered in Kolkata, South and North 24 Pargana and Howrah may actually be on Tuesday.
.
“I personally only receive one query from the guardian so far.
The same thing has become a situation for most operators who are very few contact guards to continue service.
The staggering school time of various classes also acts as a deterrent for some people.
But With the majority of drivers, helpers and verses shift to other professions, there will be a large scarcity, “Dutta said.
Anurag Agarwal, who operates the largest school bus fleet in the city, also shares the same emotions when he signs very few school buses that can actually start surgery due to the fact that very few students really choose for them now.
The private bus owners plan to increase their fleet along the route of large schools, colleges and universities from Monday.
However, they said they would wait for a week to measure the response and decide on the next action.
(With input from Dwaipayan Ghosh)