THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Now student cops will control the traffic near city schools. In a novel initiative to ensure better traffic control near schools, the City Traffic Police have introduced traffic clubs in 15 schools across the city.
The City Police have joined hands with different school authorities, Parents and Teachers Associations and Department of Education and Police Stations near various schools for the initiative.
Selected students, who are part of the traffic clubs, will control and coordinating traffic in and around the school premises for 45 minutes before the classes start and end. This will be with the support of the City Traffic Police and under the supervision of District Police Chief, who will be the patron-in-chief of the traffic clubs in the city.The new initiative is to spread awareness about road safety among children.
State Police Chief Loknath Behera inaugurated the function at St Joseph’s Higher Secondary School in the city on Friday. “Accidents have been increasing in Kerala. Many lose their lives on the road. So it is important to train children and make them aware about road safety to build a better future. And the initiative will enable our children to deal with complicated situations in traffic,” said Loknath Behera.
The State Police Chief also announced that the City Traffic Police will give annual awards will be given to the best traffic school in the city.
Teachers and students in the respective schools will be coordinating the club. A selected person or teacher will be assigned as the nodal officer of traffic clubs, who will be responsible for day to day activities in the club. Apart from that different awareness campaigns, seminar and projects are also will be organised by the traffic clubs, coordinating with Traffic Police officers, to make students aware of the traffic safety norms.
“Students from classes 8 and 9, who are part of National Cadet Cops and Students Police Cadets will be assigned for traffic control and coordination in and around the school premises. And an officer from City Traffic Police will be conducting classes for the students in the club on road safety ” said Biju Philipp, a teacher at St Marys Higher Secondary School and one of the selected persons responsible for day-to-day activities of traffic club in the school.