The Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) has complained to the Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills that commercial buses operating between Tura and other parts of Garo Hills often purposely ignore students who want to travel by bus.
As Tura is a hub of education in Garo Hills, many students from further afield are enrolled there. “Some of these students stay in rented houses whereas some commute daily from their own houses (some of which are situated up to 30km from Tura) in commercial buses which are popularly known as ‘line buses,'” the FKJGP said in its memorandum.
Oftentimes, however, these buses have become reluctant to allow students to board, with the pressure group suspecting (based on the suggestions of others) that the reason may be that students cannot pay the standard bus fare that other passengers endure.
Although the FKJGP accepts that this is not ideal for the bus owners, it asked for some measure to help the students, such as a concession as the central government offers for students using the railways.
“There have been cases of students going on foot from Tura to Mukdangra areas even after sunset because none of the line buses stopped for the students even after being signaled to stop at the proper bus stands and despite these buses having sufficient space to accommodate the students,” the FKJGP stated, while raising particular concern for the safety of girl students who are unable to catch a bus.
