Gurgaon Bus Conductor Walks in Rain to Feed Stranded Suncity School Students
During a heavy monsoon downpour on July 7, a school bus conductor walked nearly a kilometer in the rain to buy snacks for 18 stranded students who were stuck in a five-hour traffic jam near Hero Honda Chowk in Gurgaon. The Suncity School bus, which had departed from Sector 54, became trapped in a massive gridlock, prompting 46-year-old conductor Dinesh Kumar to step in and relieve the children's hunger and distress.
The bus had left Suncity School in Sector 54 at 2:30 p.m. for its usual route. Under normal circumstances, the last student is dropped home by 3:50 p.m. However, Gurgaon's first major monsoon downpour of the season crippled traffic across the city, causing a portion of the road near the Hero Honda underpass to cave in.
The bus, carrying 18 students from Classes I to X and two teachers, became completely stuck near the underpass for almost one-and-a-half hours. Realizing the children were becoming upset and hungry, Kumar decided to take action.
Leaving the bus under the supervision of the two teachers, Kumar walked nearly a kilometer with an umbrella to purchase 20 packets of snacks. He paid for the food entirely out of his own pocket.
According to Kumar, the simple gesture immediately lifted the spirits of the stranded students and teachers. He noted that he would have bought even more food, but the traffic finally began to move.
In addition to securing food, Kumar managed the crisis by answering 50 to 60 phone calls from anxious parents. He reassured them of their children's safety and even helped a crying child speak directly with their parents.
The final student on the route was safely dropped home at 7:30 p.m., nearly four hours later than scheduled.
In the days following the incident, parents sent numerous appreciative emails to the school and messaged Kumar personally to thank him for his care. Suncity School Director Rupa Chakravarty also publicly commended Kumar's actions, encouraging other students to draw inspiration from his dedication.
