THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has launched a Road Safety Cadet programme in schools, jointly run by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) and the general education department, with the aim of instilling a culture of road safety among students and reducing accident rates.
Announcing the initiative at a press conference, Ministers V Sivankutty and K B Ganesh Kumar said the programme would be rolled out across the state in phases, beginning with a state-level inauguration at Mavelikkara later this month.
The pilot run has already been successfully completed at John F Kennedy Memorial School in Mavelikkara, where 30 cadets underwent training. Their passing out parade will be held on the day of the inauguration. In the first phase, one high school or higher secondary school in each education district will be selected, with priority given to government and aided institutions. From the next academic year, the programme will be expanded statewide.
Each batch will consist of 30 students, equally divided between boys and girls. Training will include 15 hours of classroom sessions, five hours of practical exposure, and 10 hours of physical training, along with life-saving skills such as swimming. Cadets will also receive instruction in road rules, trauma care, anti-drug awareness, and technical exposure, among other things.
Once trained, cadets will serve as safety coordinators in school vans, help regulate traffic around campuses, and assist MVD officials in analysing accident causes. The uniform will consist of a striped red, black, and yellow T-shirt, black pants, shoes, and a maroon cap. An allocation of Rs 10 lakh from the Kerala Road Safety Authority fund has been set aside for this.