BMC launches plan for safe school zones outside schools in Mumbai

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a plan to make safe school zones in Mumbai, making the roads and footpaths outside schools children-friendly.

BMC aims to create safe, children-friendly, and walkable school zones in Mumbai. The plan includes testing and designing solutions to make roads walkable, safer, barrier-free, and more vibrant for children.

The civic body launched the pilot project at Byculla's Mirza Ghalib Road, which has two schools, Christ Church School and St Agnes High School. BMC, in partnership with Mumbai Traffic Police (MTP) and World Resources Institute (WRI), has launched this project as schools are reopening across the country to make it safe, children-friendly, and vibrant roads in Mumbai.

As per WRI, in 2017-19, near Christ Church, witnessed 23 crashes and three fatalities, including two children who suffered serious injuries and one child's death. From 2,610 schools in Mumbai, 28% have seen over three accidents within 500 meters radius.

The safe school zone will include demarcation of the school zones using signals, road markings, walking and waiting areas, pick-up and drop-off zones, children-friendly spaces, and vibrant pedestrian crossing.

The project will initially use low-cost materials in undertaking feedback from the neighborhood before making it permanent.

BMC officials said that owing to the response and the success of the Byculla pilot project, a few more zones would be created in Mumbai. The selection of the roads will be based upon the vulnerability of the road to accidents. An assistant commissioner, Manish Valanju, said that the corporation would assess the trial, incorporate feedback from the stakeholders, traffic police, school management, and local community, and create a plan for its permanent implementation.

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