The police in Mysuru have embarked upon a new project to groom schoolchildren as ambassadors of traffic rules by renovating the Traffic Children’s Park on Mirza Road in Nazarbad and launching the ‘Awareness Through Little Hearts’ programme.
The Traffic Children’s Park, situated on about four acres of land opposite the City Police Commissioner’s office on Mirza Road, features not only roads and signage, but also models of various buildings including a hospital, post office, railway station, school, market, police station, and temple, among others.
The park, originally developed by late Managing Director of Ideal Jawa factory F.K. Irani in 1981, was lying in a state of disuse. Though it was repaired and refurbished in 2007, the city police have now renovated it by installing the latest traffic signage.
Vikram Amathe, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Crime), told The Hindu that the children will be taken around the park and familiarised with various traffic signage including No Parking, Speed Limits, Silent Zone, One-Way, Compulsory Turn Left or Right, etc. “We have installed about 90% of the traffic signals in the park,” he said.
The children will also be enlightened about pelican crossings or pedestrian-operated signals, where a pedestrian presses a button on the pole near the crossing and waits for the signal to turn green to cross the road. They will be informed about solar blinkers, CCTV systems, Vehicle Management Systems (VMS), and the like.
Next, the children will be taken to a room in the park, where they will be shown videos focusing not only on traffic rules and the consequences of violating them, but also the role of good Samaritans. The videos show how accidents can take place when rules are violated.
“We expect the children to be ambassadors of traffic rules and advise their parents and others on the need to follow rules,” Mr. Amathe said.
With the formal inauguration of the Park by A. Subramanyeswara Rao, City Police Commissioner, on Monday, the Traffic police will soon begin inviting batches of about 30 students from different schools twice a week as part of the programme.
Mr. Amathe said the police will also consider deploying children’s pedal car by which students in the programme can go around the park and experience the real a driving situation and follow traffic rules.
Children from different schools of the city, Traffic Advisory Committee members, Traffic Wardens and traffic police officials from the city were present at the inaugural programme.
