How about some action on these illegal vans, Mr Patil?

Even as the city traffic cops are coming down heavily on auto drivers plying without meters, there are other equally pressing issues being ignored. Every morning and afternoon, one can see vans stuffed with school children moving about on the busy traffic junctions.

Appreciating the move of the traffic police to challan (fine) any auto found without meters, advocate Tushar Mandlekar insists they are turning a blind eye towards many an offence. "Not only is this (vans carrying school kids) extremely unsafe, it is illegal too. These vehicles are supposed to be used privately and not for commercial purposes. These van drivers do not have the required permit to offer the service that they are providing. In fact, in case of any unpleasant eventuality, they can not even claim insurance for their loss as they are violating the laws," said the activist who is also the Secretary of the International Society for Road Transport and Safety.

Schools claim that they have done their bit to discourage parents from relying on unsafe means of transport. "We have only two school buses plying currently. We are ready to increase this number if the children and parents demand. However, the parents themselves prefer autos and vans due to their lower charges," said Father Paul Annimoottil, principal of St. Vincent Pallotti School.

Parents, however, say that they have their own sets of problems. "I wish to send my children by an auto, which is a relatively safer option. However, most children from our locality go to school in the vans, so the auto drivers refuse to come here only for one child," said an aggrieved Varsha Khandgale.

Others say they are happy with the van drivers and do not believe them to be unsafe. "These vanwallahs do not drive rashly. In fact, they are so responsible that when we voice our concern about the safety of our children, they seem more wary than us. Even the children have never complained of any sort of discomfort in the vehicle. So, I see no reason why the vans are not safe for my children," said Simran Kaur.

Nameshwar Sherirame, a van driver said, "This van is my only source of income. I know I don't have the necessary permissions, but I am confident about my driving skills and I abide by the traffic rules. I see to it that I drive responsibly to avoid any accident." He also suggested that modeling the trend in metros like Mumbai and New Delhi, these vehicles should be permitted to carry school children legally.

"I feel this is really wrong. The police always keep targeting us auto drivers. Even if a van driver charges a few rupees less than us, they end up earning much more by accommodating more children than us. We do not get a fair chance to earn our livelihood," rues Prakash Burbode, an auto driver.

DCP, traffic Sahibrao Patil says that the parents have the first and last word on the issue. He said the police will take strict action against the offenders if they get even a single complaint officially.