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.