KOCHI: In case elders fail to take notice, children can take upon themselves the task of pinpointing defects and taking remedial action. The Student Police Cadets (SPC) of Ramamangalam High School did just that. As part of a road safety awareness programme, cadets conducted a road safety audit in and around Ramamangalam, during which they discovered several faults in road construction.
Speaking to TNIE, senior SPC cadet Ann Mary Biju said, “We inspected various roads near our school and in our panchayat. On a section of the Ramamangalam-Piravom road, we noticed iron rods in concrete slabs used to pave roads projecting from the cutting. Such rods could easily tear into tyres. Such a situation is extremely dangerous for two-wheelers.”
According to her, road construction had been stopped mid-way after the contractor was changed due to some reason.
“The road was made temporarily motorable by repairing the potholes and carrying out other changes. We also found that there were no zebra crossings, besides dangerous curves on the road in front of the Korankadavu Anganwadi in Methipara,” she says. Taking serious note of the findings, school authorities approached PWD Minister P A Mohamed Riyas seeking intervention.
“The intervention from the minister’s office was quick. Officials led by Muvattupuzha KSTP executive engineer C G Karunakaran inspected the spots. The cadets presented their findings to officials. They were assured of immediate action,” said Anoob John, coordinator of the Surakshith Marg campaign.
The road audit was conducted in association with the SCMS Road Safety Institute and Koottukaran Group as part of the Surakshith Marg campaign.