The repeated cancellations of school bus routes have sparked a wave of reactions, leaving students without transportation to school. At the same time, the relevant authorities attribute the cancellations to incidents of vandalism and disorderly conduct on the buses and are considering measures to ensure the safe transportation of students to school.
Speaking on the “Alpha Kalimera” program, Stavros Karagiorgis, President of the Anafotia Municipal Council, stated that last Friday he had a meeting with the Minister of Education during which the problem with school bus routes in Anafotia was discussed. Although he assured that the issue would be resolved today, on Monday the students found themselves waiting for the buses again, with no transportation to school provided. “You can’t prevent these kids from going to school,” she said.
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At the same time, he warned that if student transportation to schools is not guaranteed, they will take decisive action. When asked whether students from Anafotia have been targeted in connection with the vandalism on school buses, Mr. Karagiorgis answered in the affirmative. He added that the targeting began when students asked bus drivers to wait for other students who were expected to arrive, but their requests went unheeded.
Andreas Nikiforou, Head of Public Passenger Transportation, in his own statement on the issue, clarified that the route cancellations were not due to the cost of gasoline but to incidents of vandalism and disorderly conduct by students inside the buses. “Since the company cites safety concerns regarding transportation, we have no other choice but to identify those causing the problems,” he stated.
According to him, as part of the measures to address the problem, the company is considering placing security guards on the buses so they can intervene in any incident.
He also noted that daily efforts are being made to identify the students responsible for the vandalism, adding that a complaint has already been filed with the police. If the perpetrators are identified, their information will be forwarded to their schools.
Mr. Nikiforos expressed concern that the situation might worsen and lead to much more serious incidents.
“We’re not punishing anyone. We’re protecting the others,” he noted.
