Woman attendant must on school buses: Cops

Nampally: The city police requested all the school managements in the city and surrounding urban areas to deploy one woman attendant or helper in the school bus or van ferrying school children.

This is to avoid any misconduct with school children by the attendant or helper in the vehicle. Hyderabad Traffic Police will be addressing a letter to all the school managements in the city to start deploying women staff in the vehicles carrying school children.

As part of inculcating the habit of road safety and educating about the traffic rules among the school children, the Hyderabad traffic police on Tuesday organised traffic awareness programmes at St Paul's High School, Hyderguda. Anjani Kumar, City Police Commissioner, attended as the chief guest and addressed the gathering of about 1000 students.

"This practice of deploying women staff in the school vehicle is already in vogue in many developed countries. This good practice shall also be followed in Hyderabad city as it is fast developing as a global city. I request the press and electronic media to spread this message across for the safety and security of our schoolchildren," he said.

While speaking on the road safety, the Commissioner asserted that every citizen is a police man and asked students to insist that their parents follow traffic rules like wearing helmet, seat belt and following traffic discipline. He requested all school teachers and principals to educate the children about road safety and value of life as the children are the future of our country.

ACP (Traffic) Anil Kumar said that the minor driving is a life-threatening offence to self as well as to others. He urged students to take oath that they would not drive a vehicle until they become 18 years old and always wear a seat belt in the car and also insist their parents and elders also wear helmets or seatbelt, as the case may be. He felt that children could the traffic ambassadors who can compel their parents and elders to follow traffic rules. He also said that the traffic rules were meant for public safety and each and every citizen must follow traffic rules.

During this year, Hyderabad traffic police visited 231 schools and 1,15,884 children were covered under traffic awareness campaign. Seven children of the St. Paul's School also spoke about traffic rules and road safety and they were rewarded by the Commissioner of Police. L S Chowhan, DCP Traffic-I, K Babu Rao, DCP Traffic-II, and other police officials, teachers, besides Principal Rev Bro Rayappa Reddy, were present.