Transforming Dangerous Streets into Safe Havens for Students
Schools from Delhi to Hanoi are revolutionizing student safety by creating dedicated safe zones that protect children from traffic dangers and create vibrant community spaces. The initiative, which began in Delhi in 2022, has already shown remarkable results in transforming hazardous areas into secure, child-friendly environments.
Delhi's Ambitious Safe School Zone Project
The Delhi government has launched an ambitious plan to create 11 safe zones for schoolchildren across the city—one in each of the 11 districts. This comprehensive project includes eight government schools and three private institutions, with the Transport department implementing it in collaboration with IIT-Delhi and NGO HumanQind.
One of the first successful implementations has emerged at DAV Public School in Vasant Kunj, where a remarkable transformation has occurred. Until last year, the footpaths outside this school and three neighboring government schools were completely encroached by roadside vendors and parked vehicles, making it impossible for children to walk or cycle safely.
Now, the 250-meter corridor in front of these schools features a completely redesigned space with a new traffic light at the high-speed junction, straight pavements, dedicated cycle tracks where no other vehicles are permitted, and combined cycling and walking tracks across the road. The changes have been so effective that students not only come to school on their cycles but also return in the evenings to play.
Community Participation Drives Success
The project's success stems significantly from involving students and parents in the planning process. According to Ruchi Varma, founder and CEO of HumanQind, students actively participated in project design, specifically requesting inclusive features for people with disabilities.
"One of the mothers of a wheelchair user is now able to bring both him and his brother to school without facing any obstacles," Varma highlighted, demonstrating the project's inclusive approach.
The space beyond footpaths and cycle tracks has been creatively utilized to develop play areas featuring arithmetic games, snakes and ladders, and even an open gym. The redesign also includes designated spaces for hawkers, several benches and tables suitable for mini picnics, and beautifully painted school walls adorned with scenes from the street—including depictions of a neighborhood cat and a popular chowmein vendor, all painted by students and their families.
Personal Tragedies Inspire Change
Principal Priyanka Tyagi of DAV Vasant Kunj revealed that tragic incidents motivated the community to embrace road safety measures wholeheartedly. "One of the students was left paralyzed neck down after a traffic crash. There were also other instances where a child's shin was severely burnt due to the silencer of a motorbike," she shared.
These heartbreaking events, combined with active participation in project planning, turned students and families into passionate advocates for road safety. The community now takes ownership of what they call '250 meters of happiness,' with students and vendors recently collaborating to stop two-wheelers that strayed onto the pavement.
Jahnavi Chauhan, now in Class 11, expressed her amazement at seeing her childhood vision become reality. "I had built a safe zone model when I was in Class 4. I never thought anything would come of it. But the experts listened to our suggestions. Then the construction started and, finally, last year, we had a space that we all wanted."
Global Inspiration: Hanoi's Successful Implementation
The safe school zone concept has found international resonance, with Van Phuc Primary School in Vietnam's Hanoi implementing similar changes. Located in the country's oldest silk-weaving village, this school faced significant challenges with over 80% of students being local residents and more than 90% being dropped off by parents on motorbikes due to safety concerns.
The situation changed dramatically earlier this year when the school established a safe zone, reclaiming a portion of the narrow road where shops had encroached on footpaths to create continuous walking lanes.
Principal Khuong Thi Thanh Thuy observed remarkable behavioral changes among students: "Now, not only do children want to walk to the school on their own in groups, they also want to come early and play."
Since 2023, three additional schools in Hanoi have witnessed similar transformations with adequate walking or cycling lanes, crossings and islands for pedestrians, parking space for motorbikes, and traffic-slowing measures to ensure safer access for school children.
Expert Insights on Road Safety
Dr. Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at the World Health Organisation (WHO), emphasizes that slowing traffic represents one of the most crucial interventions for protecting children. "Speed kills. Around 8% of those who get in a traffic crash at 20 mph die—at 30 mph, it increases to 20% and at 40 mph to 46%," Dr. Tran explained.
He further stressed that infrastructure design plays a vital role in traffic calming: "But speed can't be controlled by signage alone, infrastructure has to be built in a way that people intuitively slow down."
The successful implementation of safe school zones in both Delhi and Hanoi demonstrates how coordinated efforts between governments, educational institutions, technical experts, and local communities can create lasting positive change for children's safety and well-being.
