Cases will booked against schools in the Central Business District if vehicles of parents dropping or picking up students are found parked on the busy roads. Issuing a stern warning, the traffic police has asked the schools to make arrangements for pickup and drop within the campus.
At a recent meeting with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) of Richmond Town, Langford Town and Shanthinagar, the traffic police said that schools must allow for students to be picked up on campus, rather than on the roads where parked school buses and private vehicles only add to the chaos.
Members of Richmond Town and Langford Town RWAs had met the traffic police a few days ago and submitted a written representation about the traffic issue in the area caused by parking of school vans and parents coming to pickup and drop their wards.
“The traffic problem is going from bad to worse. We tried meeting school managements to discuss the issue. When they failed to take any steps, we approached the local representatives, but that too yielded no results. Then, we met DCP Abhishek Goyal and he organised the meeting. We are happy that representatives from most schools attended and we are hoping that a solution will soon emerge,” said Nithya Reddy, vice-president of the association.
The traffic police have said a case under Section 283 of the Indian Penal Code (Obstruction in public way) will be filed against the vehicle owner (implying the parent picking up the student) as well as the school authorities. “Some schools have started assigning in and out spots, where vehicles enter the school campus to drop or pickup students. We want this to be implemented in all schools in the area. Currently, vehicles stopping by the side of the road causes heavy congestion,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Central division) Natraj.
The issue had been taken up in the past, where traffic police have warned schools to use just one lane of the road for picking up or dropping off of students, and to have school guards monitor traffic movement.
