Chandigarh: Government school students here now have a privilege that students in government schools across the country may not have. The Chandigarh administration on Thursday flagged off a bus service exclusively dedicated to government schools in this union territory.

Chandigarh's Home, Education and Transport Secretary Ram Niwas flagged off the first of its kind service named "Micro School Escort" from the government Model Senior Secondary School in Sector-16 here.

Niwas said that the scheme will be implemented in five schools (government senior secondary schools in Sector-16, 18, 19, 28 and 35) in the first phase.

The administration has signed an agreement with a transport operator and the parent-teacher association (PTA) for each school.

In all, nine buses were flagged off on Thursday transporting a total of 500 students.

Each student will have to pay Rs.400 per month to use the facility.

The buses have been equipped with speed governors, first-aid kits and fire extinguishers. They fulfill all other conditions of the Motor Vehicle Act.

Transport officials said that the project was initiated with the aim to curb the illegal operation of transporters who ferry government school children without following safety and other norms.

"The scheme is for school children of government schools who do not have pick and drop facilities like the private and public schools. The service is affordable also," one official said.

Chandigarh has nearly 105 government schools which enrol a total of 100,000 students. IANS