Bengaluru: Residents in and around Central Business District dread the morning and early evening ‘school run’ traffic as buses and cars jostle for space on congested roads.
With more than a dozen schools in the area, clogged roads have become the norm, say Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs) who met on Monday to discuss measures to regulate traffic around schools.
These include urging schools to approach the BMTC to ferry students, staggering school timings, increasing manpower to oversee traffic and informing the local traffic police about functions in the school.
Although police also made these suggestions during a recent meeting with school managements, none have been complied with, say residents.
“Bus drivers park in ‘no parking’ zones and obstruct all commercial and residential traffic. The vans remain parked all day during the school hours,” said Sheila Chittappa, a resident of Vittal Mallya Road.
Civic activist Naresh V. Narasimhan said that in his neighbourhood the roads remain blocked by buses for about six to eight hours every day. “Many of us have met school principals and tried to discuss possible solutions but they seem to be indifferent. Schools cannot wash away responsibility.”
As part of the campaign, residents are planning to meet the Education Minister as well as school managements.
Some suggestions
- Staggering school timings
- Use BMTC buses to ferry students
- Use loudspeakers at entrance to regulate traffic flow
- Increase the number of people manning traffic
- Multiple drop and pick-up points to reduce chaos
