By: Niyati Handa, CO-Founder and Director, Eklavya Early Years
Every morning in urban Indian cities, children step out of their homes before sunrise with backpacks almost as large as their frames, preparing themselves not only for another day at school but also for a journey that often stretches longer than the school hours. What was once viewed as a regular and convenient process, has slowly evolved into a daily strain – be it physically, emotionally, or mentally. What has changed is scale and a greater emphasis on individual convenience over civic sense. Longer distances, heavier traffic, buses travelling in small lanes to reach individual homes and rising parental expectations have pushed school transport out of the operational shadows and into the centre of policy and parenting conversations.
For example, in cities such as Bengaluru, rapid urbanisation and increasing traffic congestion have turned long school commutes into a defining part of a child’s education experience. Children now spend anywhere between two and four hours a day travelling to and from school. And, this shift is forcing schools and parents alike to ask an uncomfortable but necessary question: should student wellbeing begin and end at the school gate, or does a school’s responsibility extend across the entire journey?
In fact, it’s noticeable that Bengaluru schools are beginning to acknowledge that wellbeing cannot be confined to the classroom. And, this realisation in turn, is pushing educational institutions to focus on safety, dignity, and care that are delivered beyond academic walls.
The hidden cost of long commutes
The impact of prolonged travel on children is neither abstract nor minor. Fatigue is the most visible symptom. Early wake-up times, missed breakfasts, and long hours spent sitting in traffic reduce a child’s ability to concentrate, learn, and participate meaningfully in school activities. With time, this chronic exhaustion is reflected in increased irritability, anxiety, and declining academic engagement.
There is also a quieter, more insidious cost: the erosion of personal time. Long commutes slice off precious moments for play, rest, family interaction, and self-directed learning – elements most critical to the healthy development of young minds. When a child’s day begins and ends on the road, school becomes less a space for growth and more an endurance test.
From a psychological perspective, the commute itself can be utterly stressful, contributing to a daily environment of unpredictability. This impact is unsettling, especially in younger children, creating a persistent sense of vulnerability.
Why transport is no longer a side issue
Traditionally, school transport has been treated as an operational add-on; a service outsourced, managed separately, and discussed mainly during admissions. Today, that approach feels outdated. Transport is no longer just about movement but about safeguarding kids through one of the most vulnerable parts of their day. For schools, this shift represents a policy challenge that calls for schools to take a tough stand and insist on community bus stops on main roads so that more children can be picked up from one stop, buses can ply only on large main roads and not have to navigate traffic in narrow bylanes. For parents too, a shift in mindset from personal convenience of doorstep pickups to community stops which are 0.5-1km away from home, is essential to ensure that their little ones don’t suffer due to long bus commutes.
In tier-1 cities across India, where infrastructure struggles to keep up with population growth, schools are uniquely positioned as anchors of stability. Parents increasingly expect far more from institutions than just academic excellence.
This gradual change marks an important turning point. When schools design policies that account for the entire school journey, they acknowledge a fundamental truth: learning does not happen in isolation. A child who enters school stressed or fatigued is already at an educational disadvantage, regardless of classroom quality.
Safety, dignity, and care on the road
Dignity, too, is now a part of this conversation. Long waits, overcrowded buses, and hurried pick-ups can be dehumanising, especially when it comes to children. However, schools have begun to realise that the way a child is treated during transit shapes their sense of belonging and trust. A respectful commute builds confidence, whereas a chaotic one erodes it.
Care is perhaps the most overlooked dimension. How the child feels during the travel – say on a pool car or bus, being seen and heard, and being supported, matters the most. Simple measures like providing trained attendants, predictable schedules, and age-appropriate seating can turn a stressful commute into a safe transition between school and home.
In the case of schools, it is an issue of standards, systems, and accountability. For parents, it is a daily emotional negotiation between aspiration and exhaustion. The school commute now sits at the uneasy intersection of both.
Why school transport needs policy attention
What is emerging is a strong case for transport to be embedded into school policy, not handled as a peripheral function. Clear guidelines around maximum commute times, route planning, and safety protocols are becoming essential. More importantly, the conversation must move beyond broader traffic or safety debates and focus squarely on reducing actual travel duration for students. Shorter commute times are not merely a logistical advantage; they are fundamental to protecting children’s physical energy, mental wellbeing, and capacity to learn.
One structural solution could involve defining a reasonable admission radius to discourage excessively long travel distances. By prioritising proximity in enrolment decisions, schools can play a proactive role in limiting commute times and safeguarding student wellbeing.
Sustainable solutions will only emerge when schools and parents adopt a collective responsibility mindset, with schools formally embedding community pick-up models into policy. Prioritising community efficiency over individual convenience is essential – this is the only way commute times will be meaningfully reduced.
Parenting in the age of the long commute
The commute crisis has brought an added layer of decision-making for parents. Choosing a school is no longer just about curriculum or reputation; it is also about distance, travel time, and daily strain on the child. Nowadays, it has been noticed that many parents are weighing academic aspiration against physical and emotional health.
There’s also a greater demand for transparency. Parents need to know who is in charge during transit, how issues are tackled, and what contingency plans are in place for delays or emergencies. Schools that engage openly with these concerns build trust in a time when it is hard-won.
Looking ahead
The commute crisis in big cities like Bengaluru is a mirror of bigger urban challenges. However, within this complexity lies an opportunity. Schools that can rise by redefining transportation as an extension of their educational ecosystem can thus lead to meaningful transformation.
Institutions that make safety, dignity and care a priority throughout the school journey, send a powerful message: every hour in a child’s day counts. Not just the hours spent inside a classroom, but the time it takes to battle across a city to get there.
The school bus, once seen as a simple vehicle, is now a moving classroom of values. How it is managed speaks volumes about what a school truly stands for. This is why school transport can no longer be treated as a background service. It is now a policy decision for institutions and a deeply personal concern for parents. And in cities where the road often defines the day, that message matters more than ever.
