Exempt parents going to pick up wards from schools, says Gupta

Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, has demanded that parents going to pick up their wards from schools must be exempted from the odd-even scheme. He claimed that attendance in schools had reduced by 30 per cent due to the implementation of the scheme. “The condition of public transport in the city is pathetic and parents cannot trust them for their children,” said Gupta.“There have been several instances, wherein parents did not send their children to school on April 16 (Saturday). It has been estimated that approximately 30 per cent students did not attend schools in Delhi that day,” he added.  He alleged that the government did not take adequate steps to arrange alternative public transportation system before announcing the commencement of the scheme. “On the first day of the scheme, the Delhi Metro’s red line from Dilshad Garden to Rithala was highly ineffective as people had to wait for over seven hours for the train. Delhi Metro cardholders also resorted to taxis and autos for commuting,” he added.