Bengaluru’s traffic police department has launched a new program to alleviate traffic congestion by barring school buses from operating after 8.30 a.m. before office-going traffic hits the streets. Officers will enforce the new law, led by IPS officer M A Saleem, the city’s recently appointed traffic commissioner, by imposing a fine on school buses that drop pupils and park near schools after 8.15 a.m., according to The Indian Express.
Image Source: Gopalan Schools
According to a traffic official, no school bus will be allowed to stop near schools after 8.30 a.m., and violators will face a fine. He told the reporters, “We have already instructed school management to start classes early.” To ensure that children get to school safely, the traffic police department will enforce a “dedicated carriageway” and a “safe passage way.”
Image Source: Bengaluru Traffic Police
Another traffic police personnel said, “Parents will be given one entry and one exit point. They can drive their vehicles from the entry point and drop their kids in the playground and drive back to the exit point. This avoids parents stopping by the main roads to drop their kids.”
Several times in the past, it has been seen that school buses park outside their various schools throughout the day until it is time to drop students home, blocking part of the road and causing considerable inconvenience to commuters during that time.
Image Source: Hindustan Times
Problem areas have been identified as Residency Road, the Richmond Road flyover to Brigade Road, and HSR Layout, among others. In this regard, traffic officers have directed authorities to park buses within their campuses.
