Pupils to help police ease traffic

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Pune: Police will engage road safety patrol (RSP) students as well as citizens to avoid traffic congestion and accidents near schools in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, police commissioner Rashmi Shukla said at the traffic advisory committee meeting on Wednesday.

In the meeting, which was held after a gap of three years, various suggestions about traffic problems such as signal jumping, driving on the wrong side, underage drivingwere discussed.

Citing the example of Mumbai where RSP students help traffic police in avoiding congestion near schools, Shukla said the project can be replicated in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. "Parents can also discuss traffic issues at the parent-teacher meetings. Besides RSP students, we will also take help of four to five local citizens who will help manage traffic during school opening and closing hours. A traffic constable will be there at all major schools where vehicle will not be allowed to stop," Shukla said.

A few citizens and representatives of NGOs suggested that parking space for school buses as well as autorickshaws should be provided on school premises of the schools. The commissioner also expressed concern about underage driving. She said, "Parents should desist from giving vehicles to underage kids."

During the meeting, representatives of the bus operators' federation complained that PMC has not allotted parking space to private tourist bus operators for several years. Taking cognizance of the complaint, the commissioner asked RTO officials to study the issue and allot pick-up point. Shukla further said the police commissionerate will ask PMC road department officials to plug illegal medians as well as paint zebra crossings at regular intervals. "Companies have been asked to provide traffic wardens under the Corporate Social Responsibility programme," Shukla said.

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