Jaipur will soon witness schoolchildren assisting in traffic management at major intersections as part of a new awareness campaign initiated by the city traffic police. This decision follows a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report that placed Jaipur second in road accident deaths, prompting authorities to focus on public sensitization before implementing stricter enforcement measures.
Campaign Details
The campaign will involve school students, NCC cadets, and scouts deployed at several key crossings. Traffic police believe that their presence will encourage motorists and pedestrians to follow traffic rules more responsibly. The initiative aims to create a sense of accountability among road users before the police begin imposing heavy fines for traffic violations.
Official Statements
Hemant Kumar Jakhar, ADCP Traffic (East) of Jaipur Commissionerate, stated, "We will soon start imposing heavy challans against traffic offenders. But before that we want to sensitize both motorists and pedestrians so that they cannot blame police for issuing rampant challans. Since schoolchildren, NCC cadres, and scouts have a sense of patriotism, we want to involve them in the awareness drive."
A team led by DCP Traffic Yogesh Goyel has already begun providing basic training to schoolchildren in traffic operations and management. After training, they will be stationed at selected traffic points for short durations, especially during the summer vacation period. A traffic official explained, "These schoolchildren, including selected cadres from the NCC and scouts, will manage traffic like other traffic officials. The only difference is that unlike traffic officials, they won't issue challans. With summer vacations approaching, we will deploy them for limited time at key intersections."
Background and Rationale
Officials noted that this initiative follows a recommendation from the 59th Conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police (2024), which stated that "schoolchildren may be deployed for limited periods to manage traffic checkpoints in collaboration with the police, thereby not only familiarizing them with police operations but also contributing to improved traffic flow." The NCRB report highlighting Jaipur's high road accident death rate has spurred the traffic police to take proactive steps in public education and engagement.
The deployment is expected to begin during the summer vacation, with schoolchildren managing traffic for limited hours at major intersections. The traffic police hope that this initiative will foster better road discipline and reduce accidents in the long run.
