Ondo parents lament stoppage of shuttle buses for pupils

Parents of school pupils in Ondo State are lamenting the stoppage of shuttle buses for their wards by the state government.

The free shuttle ride was introduced by the government of ex-Governor Olusegun Mimiko in 2016 to enhance the educational sector in the State and ameliorate the financial burden incurred by parents on the education of their children.

However in 2020, the government of Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu stopped the operation of the buses. No reason was proffered for the action.

But findings by WesternPost revealed that the decision may not be unconnected to the poor maintenance of the buses resulting in the breakdown of some of them.

This development is  impacting negatively on the finances of many parents, who bemoan the nonchalant attitude of the Akeredolu-led administration towards putting the buses back on the road.

One of the parents who spoke to WesternPost shared her ordeal: “I work at the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo and we are being owed nine months’ salaries. I have children to take care. The free shuttle buses for our children really helped in cutting my expenses. But that is no longer the case.”

Another parent, Mrs Oladimeji said these are not the best of times for her and other families.

She said: “Many parents are crying bitterly since the shuttle buses were taken off the roads. Most families could hardly afford  to feed their children these days. Now adding transport cost is an additional burden too difficult to bear.”

Many of the shuttle buses, findings revealed, are presently parked at the premises of the Ministry of Works.

Speaking with our correspondent, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Tobi Ogunleye, said the coronavirus pandemic, the financial burden on the government and maintenance of the buses led to the suspension of the free shuttle.

He disclosed that the government cannot risk the lives of the students and the regulations of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) had to be followed.
“NCDC gave us strict standing rules that the buses should be suspended. If we try to render social services to the students, we should not be contributing to the system that can take the life of any of the students,” he said.
According to him, other conditions given by the regulatory body include sanitation of the vehicles on an average of thrice a week, supply of disposable nose masks and sanitizers to the students on daily basis.