A few parents welcome new traffic rule

A few parents welcome new traffic rule

The Hindu

Some others unhappy, call for regulated parking; van drivers too oppose ban


BANGALORE: Some parents were decidedly not pleased and but some others were willing to give it a try when the traffic police introduced the "no parking within 200 m" rule on either side of the entrance to Sacred Heart High School on Richmond Road on Wednesday.

This is the seventh school to come under the "Safe Roads to School" programme of the police to encourage more children to travel to school by bus.

Sister M. Peter, a teacher, said: "It is highly inconvenient because parents of younger children cannot drop them inside the school compound or at least right at the gate as they were used to. Even in front of malls and commercial buildings there is traffic congestion. Why single out schools?''

On the adjacent Convent Road, where there are other schools, not only cars of parents but even other vehicles are allowed to be parked on the roadside, other teachers pointed out.

Some teachers suggested: "Parents can be allowed to drop children one after another in an orderly manner and move away quickly, and the police can regulate this. Parking can be regulated, but during an emergency, such as a child falling sick, the rules should be relaxed.''

A parent, T. Nagaraj, who had come to pick up his child, said: "Parking can be allowed on one side of the road alone if the intention is to reduce congestion on the road. Right now it is difficult for small children to walk a long distance to meet their parents.''

Drivers of private vans which transport groups of children to and from the school felt the new regulations will hit their business and no parent will like a child to be dropped so far from the school gates. Pradip Pande, another parent, said: "The new regulations are bad. They don't help anyone. The police could spend more time and energy on regulating traffic elsewhere instead of pouncing on vehicles parked near school gates.''

Kokila, mother of a student, said: "This is a very busy road. Timings — when children can be dropped and picked up — can be fixed to regulate traffic instead of imposing the no parking rule."

Another parent, Malathi, said: "It is not a very difficult rule to follow. We just have to get used to it. It may even help in traffic control.''

There were mixed reactions from schoolchildren. Older students felt it may not be such a bad idea to travel by bus.

Traffic police officer C.W. Poovaiah, who patrols the road around this school, said: "It is a good rule and promotes safety for everyone. Now, there is more smooth traffic on Richmond Road. If schools are willing to allow parents' vehicles inside their compounds, we need not enforce the no parking rule.''