Generation-Y takes up cudgels to ease traffic near schools

PANJIM, JULY 13
The generation-Y has taken up cudgels to ease out traffic near their respective schools in association with the Goa Traffic Police. In all, 500 secondary students are annually roped in to man the traffic turmoil thus assisting the limited personnel.
The tremendous increase in motor vehicles over the past few years has indeed mounted the number of accidents and congestion as against the inadequate traffic personnel of about 279 manning the vehicular traffic.
The department in 2002 established Traffic Education Cell with a hope that by teaching and introducing children to traffic laws during their formative years would make them better road users.
This has facilitated to regulate the busy roads near, as traffic department is not in a position to deploy its manpower near all schools. Brags the Superintendent of (Traffic) Police Arvind Gawas that through this study the enrolled students are acquainted with traffic laws and road safety measures.
“This will thus help them to abide by traffic laws, rules and acts in their future life, as well whether they opt for driving licenses or not… We ensure these students learn and teach others as well,” said the officer.
The department claims, it is certainly gaining good response from the enthusiast students. For the current academic year, the TEC has so far received 80 applications for the ‘Road Safety Patrol scheme’. While the literature portion is tutored in the respective traffic cell, the practical job is held on the busy roads learning from the traffic personnel.
“We impart literature as well as practical trainings to cadets. A book published by the Goa Traffic Police ‘Teach Them Young’ along with ‘Road Safety Manuel’ is distributed to these cadets. The syllabus outlined for this study covers 25 periods of an hour each,” elucidated the TEC inspector Maria D’Souza.
In brief, the syllabus includes road safety films, tips to pedestrians, motorized and non-motorized traffic, rules, exhibitions’ on road safety, hand signal practicals, controlling children and vehicles outside the school, etc.
Dressed in their school uniforms with maroon berets, maroon epaulets on each shoulder, maroon band on left arm, brown leather belts and brass buckles with letters ‘road safety patrol’ and a whistle, the cadets are in ardent spirits to regulate the traffic. A warden is appointed who is a liaison between the school and traffic police.
No sooner the schools begin in the month of June, the traffic cells across the state distribute the forms among different the school authorities to be filled in by the students who mandatorily are asked to get their parents consent.
Explains SP Gawas that the department deploys these cadets only in case of peak bandobast on a larger scale.