Mumbai: BMC to come up with safe school zone in Byculla for children

This picture has been used for representational purpose

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Traffic Police, in partnership with World Resources Institute (WRI) India Ross Centre, have initiated a trial for the city's first ‘safe school zone' at Byculla's Mirza Ghalib Road.

This initiative is to provide safer access for the children going to school and especially now that the schools have re-opened this project can be tested, said officials.

The Mirza Ghalib Road in the city's E-ward (Byculla) is home to two schools - the Christ Church School and St Agnes High School. 500-meter area around Christ Church recorded 23 crashes and three fatalities in the years 2017-2019. This included two children who suffered serious injuries while on their way back home and one student's death. Of the 2,610 school campuses in Mumbai, 28 per cent have witnessed more than three fatalities within a 500-meter walking radius during these two years. It was following these statistics that the BMC and Traffic police have taken up this initiative.

The project aims to create child-friendly and walkable school zones in Mumbai. The trial includes testing design solutions that make the road walkable, barrier-free, safer, and more vibrant for all road users, especially children. On October 20, Mumbai Traffic Police, BMC, experts and local citizens came together to initiate the trial using paint, barricades and cones.

The design solutions include demarcation of the school zone using signages, road markings, providing designated areas for walking and waiting, multi-utility zones including pick-up and drop-off zones, child-friendly spaces with playful elements and a vibrant pedestrian crossing. The trial using low-cost material will aid in undertaking feedback from the neighbourhood, before making it permanent on-ground.

Rais Shaikh, a local corporator from the Samajwadi Party (SP) said, "While we work hard to provide quality education to students and improve infrastructure inside schools, it is also important to look at safer access to schools. In Mumbai, even if the school is within walking distance, many parents/guardians take their vehicles out as it's not safe for children to walk on these roads. This trial will showcase how making a street safer for children will make it safer for all road users."

Manish R Valanju, Assistant Commissioner, E-ward, said, "We will assess the trial, incorporate feedback from all the stakeholders including traffic police, school management and local community and prepare a plan for permanent implementation."

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