By News Karnataka

Copyright newskarnataka

Bengaluru:For the second Friday in a row, Balegere-Panathur Road turned into a nightmare for schoolchildren and parents as two school buses got stuck in the slushy, pothole-ridden stretch after Thursday night’s rains. The incidents, echoing last week’s near-tragedy when 20 pupils narrowly escaped after their bus nearly flipped, have reignited anger over the unsafe condition of this critical commute route.

Twin bus mishaps in one afternoon

On September 19, a Christ Public School bus got stuck and suffered damage while navigating the muddy, waterlogged road. Barely hours later, a New Horizon Gurukul bus, carrying four children, was stranded in deep slush while heading towards Skanda Moksha Apartments. The situation was so dangerous that an earthmover had to pull the bus back onto the road.

Parents reported that the children were forced to walk home after the ordeal. “Fortunately, the front door of the bus was open, and my daughter could walk home. The bus had skidded off the road,” said Prabhakar Parupudi, a local tech professional.

Parents express outrage

The repeated incidents have left parents shaken and furious. “We are worried for our children who use these roads daily. It is scary to think what could happen next,” said Sunil Kumar Vuppala, a senior AI professional and father of a student.

Parents said the 2-km journey often takes nearly an hour due to potholes, uneven terrain, and waterlogging. “My daughter jokes that buses should be converted into sleeper buses so children can rest while travelling,” Vuppala added.

Others pointed to the lack of alternatives. “Two-wheelers are risky, cars get stuck, and buses are unsafe. What choice do we have?” said Aishwarya (name changed), another parent.

Civic apathy and political reactions

Frustration has also been directed at political leaders. “Our deputy chief minister dismissed the matter as politics. If it were a politician’s child stuck in a bus, would the response be the same?” asked Aishwarya.

Parents argue the road crisis should have been resolved years ago. “This should have been fixed a decade ago. Now children are getting injured,” said Vuppala.

Civic officials blame the rains

Meanwhile, officials attributed the recurring problems to monsoon disruptions. A senior infrastructure officer said, “Ongoing road restoration has been delayed due to rains, and drainage issues worsen the situation. With roads built over old drainage lines, these problems are bound to occur.”

But residents remain unconvinced. “The government cannot keep blaming rain every year. Technology like GPS tracking only tells us where the bus is stuck — not whether our children are safe,” said Parupudi.

The repeated road mishaps in Balegere-Panathur highlight the urgent need for permanent infrastructure solutions. For parents, the daily anxiety of tracking buses and worrying about their children’s safety has become unbearable. Until authorities act decisively, the lives of young commuters will remain at risk every monsoon