Safety measures

Jamshedpur, May 11: Recently, a junior school student of Dayanand Public School — situated on the bylane leading to Pipeline Road — had to be hospitalised after a speeding vehicle hit him while he was crossing the road.

Though he survived, the school began a plantation drive in the adjacent area to keep the little ones from directly stepping on to the road.

At peak hours, as children troop out of school gates right onto the main road, commuters face problems galore while plying on the main road. Schools, like Loyola School, Beldih Church School, Sacred Heart Convent School, Rajendra Vidyalaya and Motilal Nehru Public School, with entrance gates opening straight on to the main roads, face the maximum problems. Pipeline Road, a four-lane thoroughfare in Sakchi, also sees heavily-loaded trucks plying on them.

“It’s a big problem. We rush to reach our work places and children are eager to cross the roads. Anything major can happen anytime,” said Vinay Singh, a private firm employee, frequently commuting between Sakchi and Bistupur.

“Morning hours are still better as only school-going people are on the roads but when school gets over, there is a huge rush as the timing coincides with office working hours,” said Ratna Sharma, parent of a Sacred Heart Convent School student.

Overloaded auto-rickshaws and vans that wait at the other end of the road to carry children back home, add to the crowded streets.

Traffic co-ordinator on duty at Motilal Nehru Public School and the practice of children forming a human chain while crossing the road has somewhat helped prevent accidents, said the school principal.

Annapurna Senroy, a teacher of Beldih Church School, said the traffic department needs to put on duty one traffic constable to manage the show during the peak hours.

F.K.N Kujur, deputy superintendent of police said: “We have put a few speed breakers in front of some schools but the school officials should also take some responsibility.” Complaining about staff crunch, he said they are hoping to put a few constables on duty at peak hours at least for some schools before the school re-opens after the summer break.