Students along with their parents seek bus facility in Sathyamangalam in Erode district in Tamil Nadu.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.
Students from Peekiripalayam, a tribal hamlet, have urged the authorities to introduce government bus services during school hours to ensure uninterrupted access to educational institutions.Peekiripalayam, located in Chikkarasampalayam panchayat on the fringes of the forest, is home to more than 150 tribal families. Over 50 students from the village travel daily to schools and colleges in Chikkarasampalayam, Sathyamangalam and nearby areas. However, the residents said, the village had just two government bus services a day — one at around 4 a.m. and another at about 7 p.m. — neither of which was useful for students commuting to educational institutions.As a result, many students were forced to walk several kilometres to reach the nearest bus stop before boarding buses to their schools and colleges. Villagers said lack of convenient public transport has affected attendance, caused delays and placed an additional burden on students, particularly during monsoon and summer.Residents also complained that the bitumen-topped road leading to the hamlet was in a dilapidated condition for several years. Despite repeated representations, the road was not repaired, making travel difficult for residents.A villager said a petition was submitted to officials of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation in Sathyamangalam requesting the operation of government buses to the village in the morning and evening to coincide with school timings. Copies of the petition were also sent to the district Collector and the Chief Minister’s Special Cell, seeking early intervention to improve transport connectivity and road infrastructure for the remote tribal settlement. Published - July 15, 2026 06:01 pm IST
