Lucknow school asked to set up traffic control rooms

In a novel initiative, Lucknow District Magistrate (DM) Surya Pal Gangwar has directed all schools to set up traffic control rooms on their campuses under the supervision of traffic nodal officers to ensure zero traffic jams outside their institutes.

The DM has asked the schools to make a master plan for the smooth operation of the traffic system and ensure its compliance.

He said master plans were made available by the schools but its compliance was not ensured.

"All schools should have a traffic control room with nodal traffic officers to solve the problem of traffic jams at the time of opening and closing of schools," the top official said.

Gangwar said the nodal in charge would monitor traffic arrangements and jams and accordingly guide owners of vehicles causing traffic jams through a centralized announcement system.

He further said all schools should park their pooled vehicles, staff vehicles and vehicles of parents inside the campus. Action will be taken on vehicles parked outside schools without drivers.

All such vehicles will be fined and their registration certificates (RCs) will be confiscated. Those schools which do not have parking spaces in their precincts have been directed to identify a place near the school and use it as a parking space. All schools should allow students' entry at least an hour before the school begins," he said.

The DM also asked 10 major schools where excessive traffic jams occur to give a presentation on measures being taken to streamline the traffic system.

School representatives have told the official that there is no place for parking on premises to which the administration has asked them to ensure the parking arrangement at a nearby place and motivate parents to send their children by the school bus.

Schools will have to depute adequate security personnel at all gates.

If the security personnel are not trained, then their list should be made available so that they can be trained by the police department.

Also, schools should prepare details of the total number of students coming to schools by buses, vans, bicycles, ,metro or other means of transport.

Schools in Lucknow have been a major cause of traffic jams in recent years and the problem has been getting increasingly complicated, affecting VIP and emergency movement on roads.