Kerala   

Traffic clubs planned in schools

LAW &ORDER The city police want to create awareness among children on traffic rules, writes Biju Govind

The city police will launch new schemes to help students as the school reopens next week. Modalities have been worked out to set up traffic clubs in all educational institutions in the city. "Initially we have decided to focus on traffic after sensing the dangerous trends on arterial roads of the city. Talks have been held with the Assistant Police Commissioners (Traffic) and the Circle Inspector (Traffic) to implement the scheme in schools," said Kozhikode City Police Commissioner Balram Kumar Upadhyay.

A meeting of Principals and Headmistress of upper primary and high schools would also be held to chalk out programmes. Discussions would be held with the Deputy Director of Education. Karma, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), who is associating with the programme in coordinating the activities. The programme would be launched this month, he said.

To streamline the activities, a head constable would be entrusted with the task of organising weekly programmes in each school. Apart from conducting classes on traffic rules for students, events such as debates, essays, cartoon competition, quiz, screening of compact discs on traffic rules would be organised, Mr. Upadhyay said.

Traffic clubs would function throughout the academic year. Routine one-day programmes were not making an impact. Now the new scheme would be implemented with the coordinated effort of the police, teachers and the students. "Educating schoolchildren on traffic rules will get the desired effect in the future.

Teaching the road-users, particularly the middle-aged, on complying with traffic laws are not yielding positive results," he said.

Mr. Upadhyay said the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) would provide brochures to the students. Mobile exhibitions will also be conducted at educational institutions, he said.

He said in European countries, the activities were mostly organised at home. Parents received illustrated books to read and materials to play with their children.

Another proposal of the city police was to set up complaint boxes at educational institutions. Students could drop their complaints in the box about harassment on roads, abuses and private bus operators not permitting them to travel in the vehicle, he said.

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