The education ministry and school and college authorities in the capital yesterday agreed in principle to introduce bus service for students of certain schools in a bid to ease traffic jam on the city streets.

After a meeting with principals and head teachers of colleges and schools at his ministry, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told reporters that all in the meeting agreed that private cars carrying students are contributing to traffic congestions around certain good schools and colleges in the city.

The meeting suggested that the school authorities could make arrangement with the BRTC to introduce bus service for certain schools, 'fhe buses will ferry students from certain stops on certain routes. "The schools which are financially well off can purchase their own buses, if necessary, by taking bank loans, to replace small school vans and microbuses which also cause road jam," the meeting observed.

The meeting directed that the police administration and traffic police would take special care to ensure security of schoolchildren.

About school timings, the education minister said. "The school authorities can readjust their school timings at their convenience during the winterseason,"

State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak, the BRTC chairman and officials concerned were present at the meeting.