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Steps to ensure safety of road users Law & order

The police are planning to extend the traffic warden system, which was started more than a month ago in 15 schools, to other schools in the city.

Around 150 students from 15 schools who underwent training now manage the traffic in front of their schools during peak hours in the morning and evening. They have been given special jackets by the police.

More than 500 students attached to traffic clubs had undertaken training earlier. They will now become part of the system. A meeting of school Principals has been called on December 30 in this regard, said K. Vijayakumar of the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), Kozhikode.

The city police, in alliance with the Kozhikode Area Resources Moblisation Agents (Karma), a non-governmental organisation, and NATPAC, launched the scheme in the last week of October. Inspector-General of Police (Armed Police Battalion and Traffic Planning) B. Sandhya inaugurated the programme.

The traffic warden system has reduced congestion during the peak hours at some busy junctions where schools are located. Traffic constables assist the students at the junctions.

Traffic wardens keep a check on rash driving, which has been cited as a major cause of accidents in the city. They also ensure that private buses comply with speed rules and halt at bus bays.

Mr. Vijayakumar said the traffic warden system was introduced as part of the community road safety education programme of NATPAC. All stakeholders were involved in the programme. The police and the Motor Vehicles Department would cooperate to take the system to the rural areas of the district.

He said it would be a multi-pronged strategy to create awareness of traffic rules and road safety at the micro level. The support of the Department of Education was vital in this matter. Road shows would also be conducted.

Kozhikode City Commissioner of Police Anup Kuruvilla John said government departments would coordinate to launch a massive campaign on road safety. A ‘Traffic Awareness Week’ will be organised from January 1.

The initiative comes in the wake of the road accident at Irikkur in Kannur that claimed the lives of 10 students on December 4. The accident occurred when a speeding jeep hit a group of school children who were returning home from school.

Minister for Transport Mathew T. Thomas has called a meeting of heads of various departments in the city on January 5. A programme to start traffic clubs in 15,000 schools in the State will be chalked out at the meeting.

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