MillenniumPost
Bengal

Police call for use of school buses, pool cars instead of personal vehicles

Kolkata: Kolkata Police has suggested minimising use of personal cars and instead opt for school buses and pool cars for ferrying school students to reduce traffic snarl and air pollution in the city. Change in the schedule of some schools has also been suggested by the police.

The state School Education department, along with Kolkata Police, will conduct a meeting on Monday and take suggestions from different schools regarding their opinion on curbing traffic load. Around 20-odd institutions have been earmarked as major contributors to poor air quality in the city.

According to sources, the department has already issued a letter to these institutions located in different parts of the city, seeking their suggestion on what can be done to reduce the level of pollution.

St. Xavier's Collegiate School, La Martiniere for Boys, La Martiniere for Girls, Ashok Hall, Shri Shikshyatan, Don Bosco, Calcutta Boys and South Point are some of the schools in the list. According to sources in Kolkata Police's Traffic department, S N Banerjee Road, AJC Bose Road, Minto Park, Eliot Road, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Park Street and parts of Gariahat and Ballygunge have been identified as places where substantial traffic congestion takes place, particularly before the beginning and end of school hours.

The state Chief Secretary, who had recently appeared before the National Green Tribunal, had informed the green bench about the state government's efforts to curb pollution in Kolkata and Howrah.

The issue of huge volume of personal cars causing air pollution also came up during the discussion. The Chief Secretary said that he had formed a committee with officials from the Education department, West Bengal Pollution Control Board and Kolkata Police, to address the issue.

Meanwhile, Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls' High School authorities, in response to the letter issued by Dr Saumitra Mohan, state commissioner of School Education, pointed out that most of its students come from poor socio-economic background.

"We do not have any bus. Our students come to school in chartered buses hired by their parents. Long traffic snarl and resultant pollution is a regular phenomenon in front of our school due to big private schools in the neighbourhood," pointed out the letter.

The letter has also pointed out that individual cars of guardians and a large fleet of buses and pool cars of other schools are parked in front of Sakhawat Memorial almost throughout the day.

"We as responsible citizens have a role to play to save our young ones from the detrimental effect of air pollution," said Papia Nag, principal, Sakhawat Memorial.

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