In Surat, a disturbing incident captured in a viral video, showcasing the perilous ride of schoolchildren crammed into an overloaded rickshaw. The video, which has prompted widespread concern, illustrates a blatant violation of rules and regulations, placing innocent lives at risk for the sake of making extra money.
The viral video originates from Surat's Chowk Bazar area, highlights the precarious situation that these children are put in when such rickshaws capsize, thus endangering their lives.
This clear flouting of rules, which allows only three to four children in a rickshaw, is not limited to the instance caught on video. Numerous school vans and rickshaws in the city are known to carry more students than permitted. This problem is further exacerbated by the city's road conditions, deteriorated by heavy rains that have led to potholes, causing the overloaded rickshaws to sway dangerously.
The video raises serious questions about accountability for the safety of these schoolchildren. It showcases students clinging onto the rickshaw, amplifying the risk of serious injury if a child were to fall from the moving vehicle. According to RTO rules, it is compulsory for children to be safely seated in school vehicles. This alarming video underlines the urgent need for the traffic department to step up surveillance and enforcement measures to ensure the safety of children commuting to school.
