Bhubaneswar, Nov 30: With the Odisha government set to impose a ban on vehicles with seating capacity less than 13 for transporting school children from December 1, the owners of auto rickshaws and small vehicles, threatened by the loss of their livelihood, took to streets in the city today demanding a change in the rule. Hundreds of auto rickshaw and small van owners and drivers staged demonstrations at the Lower PMG alleging that the rule, if not changed, would result in the loss of livelihood of many.
The protesters also submitted a demand memorandum addressed to the Governor and the Chief Minister in this regard. As per the Policy on Transport of School Children-2016, vehicles with seating capacity below 13 cannot be used for transportation of School children. Moreover, the vehicle should have space under the seats for school bags, name and contact number of school official at the back of the vehicle, speed governors and GPS installed in the vehicle. Besides, the driver of such vehicle should have a valid license and at least 5 years of driving experience.
