New school experience kicks off

5-point agenda of ‘Safe Access to Schools’: school zone delineation, safe and vibrant crossing, speed calming devices, curb extensions, and universally accessible active footpaths for disabled students/parents

The BMC’s newly-launched ‘Safe Access to Schools’ campaign, is being pitched to enhance the school-going experience. As reported by the Free Press Journal a day ago, it intends to improve road safety, reduce accidents involving children, reduce traffic congestion and pollution, besides improving their health and development.

According to the BMC, 60 per cent of school children walk to school. The average commuting time to school is 90 minutes, as most children commute during heavy traffic hours. Amid this chaos, 74 per cent (2,786 crashes from 2018-20) of all traffic crashes involving children are within 500 metres of schools, also called ped-sheds (the walkable zone around the school).

The campaign has been introduced to address this issue. For this, the civic body has made a special budget allocation of Rs 50 crore in the current financial year. Its five-point agenda includes school zone delineation, safe and vibrant crossing, speed calming devices, curb extensions, and universally accessible active footpaths for disabled students or disabled parents.

“We will use colourful marking and identification signs after consultation with an expert,” said an architect working on tactical urbanism. “We will erect speed calming devices that will indicate schools in the neighbourhood.”

In phase 1, 200 government schools have been identified in phase one and these schools will be made safer till December 22. Out of 200 schools, 117 are in the suburbs and 83 are from in the city, while 12 special schools are in the suburbs and five in the city. These campaigns will benefit 1.2 lakh students of Mumbai.

“These 200 schools will be divided into five zones,” said the architect. “Five consultants will head each zone. They will also conduct workshops with school staff or principals and will add their suggestions and requirements in the plan.”