Concession cards will be required for school-college students riding KSRTC buses starting on July 1 according to the Regional Transport Office's (RTO) announcement. However, concession cards are not necessary for private buses, as students up to Plus Two wear uniforms.
Palakkad: Concession cards will be required for school-college students riding KSRTC buses starting on July 1 according to the Regional Transport Office's (RTO) announcement made at the Palakkad Students' Facility Committee meeting. However, concession cards are not necessary for private buses, according to the RTO, as students up to Plus Two wear uniforms.
Additionally, it has been made known that students may take private buses for a distance of up to 40 kilometres by paying the reduced fare set by the government.
The meeting was held under the leadership of District Collector Dr S Chithra to discuss the distribution of bus travel concession cards for students in the district, travel difficulties, etc.
Regional Transport Officer TM Jerson informed that the concession card for the academic year 2023-24 will be yellow in colour. Heads of all educational institutions including government, aided, affiliated and government-recognized schools and colleges should ensure that the concession card is issued in yellow colour. He also directed that the head of the institution should take the initiative to get the concession card by preparing the list of students in the institution in the prescribed format and presenting it before the JRTO of the respective taluk.
Bus operators will have a chance to check concession cards supplied by private organizations. The daily maximum one-way trip is 40 kilometres. The RTO encouraged the students to be careful not to lose their concession card and to always have it with them. According to the RTO, students up to the Plus Two level who travel on the KSRTC bus on a concession receive free transportation. The District Collector stated that students are permitted to make two journeys per day and that a concession must be provided for such travels. The concession cards will be supplied following legal verification.
A meeting of bus owners and students will be held every three months.
According to the District Collector, there shouldn't be any complaints from the district about students being treated unfairly, misbehaving with them, being made to pay the full amount of bus fares, etc. The collector stated that if the student organizations and institutions come openly, a system can be established to write information about the concession charge at the bus stop, college premises, and significant locations in coordination with the RTO.