Mangaluru: 'Safe School Zone' soon for safety of school children

Mangaluru: In view of the safety of school children, the ‘Safe School Zone’ project is being planned to make school areas within city limits traffic safe zones.

Accordingly, the system will soon be piloted in five school zones in three areas of the city and it will be implemented in all school zones in the next phase.

Most of the roads in the city are congested even those that pass near school zones. Pedestrians have to struggle to cross the road as a result of the dense vehicular traffic.

School children are facing even more problems and have to struggle to cross the roads.

Considering these issues, this concept was formulated by MLA Vedvyas Kamath.

Though the project was conceived nearly two years ago, implementation was hampered by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will now be implemented through the Mangaluru City Corporation with grants from the Mahatma Gandhi Urban Development Program. Preparations are underway for issuing the tenders for the project.

The Safe School Zone project will instruct motorists to observe traffic discipline while entering the school zone which will cover 300 metres from the school’ outer limit.

Signboards warning of school ahead will be put up on all the roads 300 metres from the school.

Kamath has said that he is also working on plans to create hospital zones near major hospitals including Lady Goschen Hospital and Wenlock Hospital, which will also be done under the Mahatma Gandhi Urban Development Program.