The Times of India     21.08.2012

Road safety lessons in Pune schools soon

PUNE: Traffic discipline and road safety education will soon form a part of extra-curricular activities for students of std V to VII in civic and private schools in the city. The traffic police and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) school board will jointly implement the new initiative.Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Vishwas Pandhare said the traffic branch had suggested that a traffic awareness activity should be implemented for schoolchildren. "We had been following up the proposal with the PMC.

Finally, a decision has been taken and we have prepared a plan," he said. More than one lakh students are expected to benefit from the programme. The students will get certificates based on tests and activities.PMC school board chairman Pradip Dhumal said the initiative is aimed at creating awareness among students and their parents.

Students will be taught about traffic rules through information booklets and other demonstrations. Dhumal said the school board and traffic branch will jointly print a study booklet on traffic.The traffic branch will also train one teacher in each of the 309 PMC-run schools and will provide all schools with a film about traffic safety.The plan to implement the initiative in civic schools was discussed at a joint meeting of traffic officials and the PMC school board last week.

Several school board members suggested that the programme should be implemented in private schools as well. The meeting approved a resolution to implement the programme in all schools in the city. It was also decided to train security guards of schools in road safety.Dhumal said the traffic police have suggested that the opening and closing hours of schools be changed in phases to ease congestion on roads. "We have discussed the issue and will take a decision soon," he said.