The Chennai police is in the process of identifying bus routes where footboard travel by school students is rampant in order to initiate strict action to deter them. Nearly 20 routes have already been identified and once the process is completed, the police will conduct intensive awareness campaigns in institutions along those routes.
“We have already started distributing pamphlets with road safety messages in educational institutions. We will also fix digital boards carrying messages on road safety and risks of footboard travel in all the institutions,” said S. George, city police commissioner.
The police will rope in school managements to curb incidents of school children driving motorbikes. Special student committees will be formed for this purpose. “They will act as a bridge between the managements, students and the police,” said the commissioner.
The students will identify those children who come on motorbikes to school and initially, advise them on the dangers of riding without license. “The police will tip off the school management who in turn will talk to parents to ensure that their wards don't ride bikes,” said Mr. George. This comes in the wake of the recent death of a school girl in a bike accident.
The traffic police and the home guards will be utilised to create awareness in schools. “If traffic sense is instilled in children, they will grow into better citizens. They will also be taught to prevent environment pollution by avoiding fuel wastage . ” said Mr. George.
As part of the Road Safety Week celebrations, the Chennai traffic police conducted awareness programmes in 99 schools in the city between January 1 and 8. The police distributed pamphlets to the students to create awareness. Similar programmes were conducted in 13 city colleges.
Awareness campaigns were held for bus drivers and conductors in 22 Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) depots. Similar programmes were organised in 49 auto stands.
On January 8, the police commissioner attended the road safety awareness campaign at Doveton Matriculation Higher Secondary School and interacted with the students. “They suggested that traffic laws be included in the school curriculum,” said Mr. George.
