Schoolbus drivers campaign organize State Traffic Police - Mumbai

Barely a week after three separate incidents of school students being mowed down by vehicles in the city were reported, the state traffic police has decided to take its road safety campaign more seriously. While till date only students were targeted in order to teach them traffic rules and regulations, the department is now planning to extend the campaign to cover bus contractors and drivers.

"We need to involve the different stakeholders, including schools, bus contractors, drivers and students, in a series of workshops to emphasize the need for safe driving. Drivers need to understand that they hold a great deal of responsibility by ferrying 50-60 kids in a bus and it is pertinent for them to behave responsibly," said Vivek Phansalkar, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

Safe Kids Worldwide, an organization that has its headquarter in the US, joined hands with Mahendrabhai Mehta of the Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust a few years ago to start a movement for traffic safety in India. The Mumbai traffic police department is currently working in collaboration with this organization in the city to promote road safety.

"I have trained more than 10 lakh children, 840 schools and 4,000 teachers to spread the message of road safety. The interaction is a genuine need of our times," said trustee Rupa Kothari.