MANSI BHAMBRI/Dehradun
To educate school students about road safety and traffic regulations in an engaging manner, a children’s traffic park is set to come up soon in Dehradun. The initiative is being developed on the directions of the State Transport department. Aimed at teaching school students about road safety and traffic rules in a unique way, the park is being developed in the City Forest Park developed by Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) near the Sahastradhara helipad.
Regional Transport Officer (Enforcement and Road Safety) Anita Chamola said that the children’s traffic park is being built in the City Forest Park covering an area about 1.5 acres. The traffic park features routes designed for children, allowing them to gain practical experience regarding road safety, traffic behaviour and more. Additional amenities in the park will include roundabouts, zebra crossings, pedestrian crossings and models of school buses, among others. She said that officials concerned will be deployed to explain these models and provide information about traffic rules, actions to take at fueling stations, speed limits and other road safety regulations.
Chamola further said that the park will also include an auditorium featuring films focused on road safety for the students and children. She said that the department is considering implementing a nominal entry fee for children or students visiting the park.
She further highlighted that the plan to promote this park includes opening it to schools once a week, providing an opportunity for students to learn about road safety. In addition, the traffic park will be accessible to children throughout the entire week, allowing visits with their parents as well. She said that the primary aim of this park is to educate children and students about traffic safety, whether they are driving vehicles in the future or acting as passengers currently. She said that children will gain knowledge about road signage and more within the park. She expressed her belief that this initiative will yield positive results, especially given the current high rate of underage traffic violations. She emphasised that this initiative will benefit not only the children but also the parents who accompany them. This park is expected to be inaugurated next month.
