Students complain of a raw deal from HRTC

According to Bhag Singh, Organising Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the students have been facing great difficulties because many a times the HRTC buses do not stop at scheduled bus stops as they are already overloaded. On numerous occasions, frustrated students have blocked traffic for several hours in protest against the non-stoppage of HRTC buses.

Students are generally forced to brave cold winter winds as they have to travel on roof tops, hang by the doors or behind the buses to reach their destinations.

Students, especially girls students who fail to board overloaded buses, are forced to commute through private buses, thereby incurring double expenditure.

According to students, the one km stretch from Una bus stand to Government College experiences heavy rush of students as three schools, the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex and the Government College are situated along this stretch of road, which is single lane whereas the rest of the highway passing through the city is double lane. This makes the road highly accident prone and only recently a school van was hit by a bus, seriously injuring four students.

Parents lament that despite the students’ vulnerability to accidents and repeated requests of the residents, the authorities have failed to provide traffic policemen at busy junctions during peak hours. A need to provide underground subways near school and college crossings is also strongly felt.

Besides, Rakkar, which is a fast growing satellite town of Una, houses a large number of government quarters, offices, schools and private colonies. The students and other daily commuters have to wait a lot to squeeze a place in an overcrowded local bus. Resident feel that the administration should allow a matador or van service between Rakkar-Una-old bus stand and Rampur to ease the problem of the locals and consequently ease the passenger rush on the local buses.