Traffic police eye more schools

Traffic police eye more schools
Fresh Survey To Be Done Under Safe-Route-To-School Project
The Times of India

Bangalore: Buoyed by the success of the safe-route-to-school project in 16 schools located in central areas of Bangalore, the police will now take up a fresh survey to include other schools as well.

This will mean that ban on parking of vehicles within 200 metres of the school campus will be enforced in several other schools. “We have discussed the issue with the transport department. We will conduct a survey on vehicular population in and around the remaining schools,’’ DCP traffic (east) M.A. Saleem told The Times of India.

In June this year, the education department and the traffic police enforced a ban on parking of vehicles within 200 meters near these 16 schools with the primary aim of decongesting traffic.

The decision followed a survey conducted by the traffic police in schools located in central areas of the city. The survey revealed that traffic congestion was due to a large number of parents ferrying their children in private cars and two-wheelers, which led to a clog during peak hours.
But school managements sought a month’s time to implement the dictum. Of the 16 schools, 12 schools implemented the ban on parking vehicles near schools from July 1 while the remaining four sought more time.

“Now, we have asked these four schools — National Public School, Indiranagar, St. Germaine School, St John School and St Francis Xaviers School to comply with the ban within two weeks. We have given them enough time,’’ Saleem pointed out.

While St Johns agreed to allow private vehicles in its campus, St Germaine’s has proposed to set up an additional gate, Saleem outlined.
To decongest traffic in areas where these schools are situated, the education department even directed the 16 schools to advance school timings to 8.30 am.