Howrah police join hands with schools to set up 'traffic clubs'

Kolkata: Howrah City Police has approached schools to set up 'traffic clubs' comprising senior teachers and students, to create awareness on traffic and road safety among more people.

Police officers will be coordinating with members of the club to take up different awareness campaigns and projects, to make people aware about traffic safety norms.

The concerned officer of Howrah City Police held a meeting with authorities of 12 schools in the urban parts of the district, in this connection. Sources said that letters to the school authorities were sent on Tuesday stating the concept of the traffic club and they were urged to take part in the meeting on Thursday.

Initially, the city police have planned to introduce the club in the schools in the central part of Howrah city and authorities of the 12 schools situated under the jurisdiction of Howrah police station and Shibpur police station were invited to hold a discussion on the initiative. There will be traffic clubs in each of the schools. Teachers and senior students will be coordinating the club and they will gradually bring more and more students under the traffic club as its members.

The traffic clubs will be organising different programmes, including painting competition, elocution and drama, based on road safety.

The other programmes will be finalised with formation of the clubs in schools, in coordination with the police. The clubs will also be helpful in maintaining traffic, when a school starts and ends.

It may be mentioned that there are around nine schools, within a small area near Liluah in North Howrah. The police have to maintain the traffic in the area to avoid congestion, so that students can reach their schools on time.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had launched the state-wide Safe Drive Save Life campaign in July 2016 and it has helped in reducing the number of road accidents in the state. Zafar Ajmal Kidwai, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) of Howrah City Police, said: "The basic idea is to involve the students in a much better way in the road safety campaign."