DISCIPLINE PAYS: Justice Subashan Reddy, Chairman SHRC, film actress Charmee and Traffic Commissioner A.K.Khan at induction of school children as traffic commandos in Hyderabad on Tuesday. - Photo:Satish.H

HYDERABAD: The city traffic police this year would have as many as 4,800 school children as traffic commandos to help them regulate traffic in the vicinity of their schools when schools open and close.

The young traffic commandos of eighth and ninth standards from 200 schools were administered oath by popular cine star Charmee at the induction ceremony organised by City Traffic Police at Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium, Yousufguda on Tuesday.

Thorough with rules

Chairman of State Human Rights Commission and former Chief Justice of Kerala and Tamil Nadu B. Subhashan Reddy who inducted the traffic commandos, said the induction of children would not only make them thorough with traffic rules but give them an opportunity to demonstrate them on the roads. He also felt traffic rules be made part and parcel of school curriculum.

Children are the wealth of the nation and it is the responsibility of the State to protect them from accidents and other ills like child trafficking. After SHRC took up the tragic death of four-year-old Reethika in a road accident as a suo motu case, an order had been issued not to carry more than six children per autorickshaw. With the cooperation of parents, autorickshaw accidents relating to children had come down, he said.

Acknowledging the strenuous job of traffic police amid adverse seasonal conditions and pollution problems, SHRC Chairman said the police had been doing their best despite shortage of staff and it was time their strength was increased.

Significant step

Police Commissioner A.K. Mohanty said children as traffic commandos had taken a significant step towards maintaining safety in city. The children had displayed a commitment to discharge their duty from a young age.

Film star Charmee said adhering to traffic discipline would make one also lead a disciplined life. For one's own safety, one should follow instructions of traffic commandos, she said. "Don't think that paying fine is enough to get away as your life is precious," she advised students.

The induction ceremony was marked by impressive mass drill, demonstration of traffic rules by teams from various schools and screening of a film on life of a traffic policeman. Some students shared their experience of being traffic commandos.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) A.K. Khan spoke.

Meanwhile, no new schools and not even additional sections in schools can be opened without the permission of traffic police here after .

The State Government issued a GO to this effect recently to enable traffic police assess whether a given area can take additional traffic load before allowing a new school or a new section, according to Mr. Khan.

Good response

Mr. Khan said the drive launched by city traffic police with regard to safety of school children had been yielding results. As many as 47 schools in the city including elite ones like St.Ann's, St.George's Grammar School have resorted to staggered timings, deployment of one security guard for every 300 children, allowing vehicles into the school compound to ease congestion outside, checking of school buses for mechanical snags, etc. The norm of six children per autorickshaw is largely being observed, he said.

Regarding traffic regulation near school zones, Mr. Khan said about 40 per cent of the traffic constables were being posted near school zones during peak hours. Foot- over-bridges would come up in 25 areas including Ameerpet, Mytrivanam . Zebra crossing with pelican symbols for the convenience of pedestrians was also being planned. To prevent people from crossing the dividers, barricades would be erected along the dividers. The work would be taken up first on Punjagutta-Greenlands and Punjagutta-Ameerpet roads, he said.

Traffic commandos

Referring to traffic commandos, he said response from schools this year had been overwhelming. Twenty four children from each of 200 schools were inducted as traffic commandos this year and a team of four children per day regulate the traffic near their school for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening.

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