The choice to take our children by public transportation (buses/trains) is initially a straightforward one. If given unlimited time and resources, the majority of parents would opt to drop their children off themselves.
Sadly, a sizable portion of people do not feel this way. They perform a cost-benefit analysis while juggling their obligations, limited resources, and time. Interestingly, they aren’t the only factors considered while making the selection.
We will be primarily concerned with private cars (including carpooling) as the choice of public transportation, by default, assuming that there is some distance to be traveled to get to the school. The alternatives to public transportation include the children cycling or walking to schools on their own.
Advantages of students using public transport
Maximum discipline, minimum ambiguity
A parent’s busy schedule ensures that there won’t be any hurried last-minute decisions. The child must be present at a scheduled stop at a specified time.
The child will have to wait for the next bus if they don’t get at the stop in time. The young person has learned which bus she must board by trial and error.
A Wide Range of Options
The child has a variety of options regarding how to spend his or her time. The youngster creates his or her own time, which can be spent doing anything from appreciating the isolation to making friends and spending time with them to reading or studying.
Disadvantages of students using public transport
Safety is the first priority.
While there are many advantages to using public transportation, one area where private transportation clearly outperforms it cannot be disputed.
And many parents believe that this is the most significant issue they have. Particularly true in challenging neighborhoods. And although taking public transportation is safer than walking to school, the family automobile still outperforms it in this regard.
Negative experiences and Harassment
A aspect that parents consider when deciding whether or not to send their child through public transit is the possibility of being bullied or harassed and not having an appropriate avenue to address it. This issue is closely related to the one described above.
Overcrowding and discomfort
The majority of schools begin and end at the same time. Therefore, it is likely that a bus may be crowded when it arrives. And as a result, the youngster has a bad experience that they might not be able to cope. When traveling back home, this effect is even more noticeable.
Various Standards
According to a research, only 6% of kids between the ages of 9 and 13 play outside any given week. Can we properly expect kids to be able to behave themselves in public places in a time when parents are too protective of their kids?
