Now, school students can travel without cards

KOCHI: Bringing relief to thousands of students in the district, the Regional Transport Officer on Friday said that students up to standard X in the district can travel in private buses without concession cards in the district. The new system will come into effect from this academic year.A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the district administration and the representatives of students’ organisations at the District Collectorate here on Friday. District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth, Joint Regional Transport Officer Abdul Shukoor and students’ union representatives attended the meeting.According to the new rules, students will be given concession if they are in their school uniforms, Joint RTO Shukoor told Express.Higher secondary and college students will be issued concession cards directly from the Regional Transport Office.“Earlier, concession cards were issued by the Private Bus Owners Association. But owing to the misuse of cards, we have decided to issue them directly,” he said. The cards will be sent to the colleges concerned.Students will have to pay a fee of `5 for the concession cards.A photograph will be affixed on the card. Students of Higher secondary schools and colleges will be given 75 per cent concession, whereas private school students will get 50 per cent.In case of loss of concession cards, students can get them re-issued by paying Rs 25 to the RTO. “The money so collected will be donated to the juvenile homes in the district,” Shukoor said.