KANNUR: There is an increasing trend among private buses in Kerala to ignore students and not stop the vehicle when beckoned. However, five students from both the 7th and 8th standards of Iritty High School turned trailblazers with an unusual move.

On Wednesday evening at 4:30 pm, the five students reached the third floor of the RTO office in Iritty and all of them were sweating badly. All were in school uniforms and when asked about their need, the students chorused “We want to meet Sir”.

All five got seated in front of Joint RTO B. Saju, and they wasted no time to unleash their list of complaints. They have to travel daily on the Iritty-Kottiyur route. There is a bus every half hour. No bus makes a stop but they will pull the double bell before letting the students in. Even if the seats are empty, students won’t be entertained. The five students even wrote down the name and number plate of the bus that breached the rules.

Joint RTO immediately sought information about the bus. Motor Vehicle Inspector P. Vaikuntan and Junior Superintendent Kishore Kumar spoke to the children. They understood the children’s pain of not being able to reach home after class.

Joint RTO later called the bus owner and asked him to be present at the office on Thursday along with the vehicle staff. With assurance from RTO, the students returned in a cheerful mood; in the joyousness of completing an unusual mission.

The bus owner, manager, driver, conductor and cleaner appeared before the RTO on Thursday and gave their side of the explanation. They later accepted the flubs and promised not to repeat this again.

“ Would you treat your kids the same way, like this way of ignoring them” The RTO quizzed the bus staff and hearing this, the cleaner of the bus nearly broke down in tears. A fine was imposed and the problem was solved.