3 weeks ago
Pune schools manage traffic jams during student pickup and drop-off
Every morning and afternoon, lots of cars, buses, and auto-rickshaws bring children to school and pick them up.
When so many vehicles gather at one school gate, the roads get very crowded and traffic gets stuck.
A principal named Sanjay Shendge from the Sheth Dagaduram Katariya High School in Pune says about 60 to 70 vehicles come to his school, which has more than 900 students.
His school asks two teachers to stand at the gates and help guide the traffic.
He thinks police officers should also come and help for 15 minutes when school starts and ends.
A teacher named Ramesh Shelar says a traffic light installed near his school last year made things much better.
Some private vehicles carry too many students, but schools say they cannot stop this because families pay less money that way.
Another principal, Ashley Eates, says the biggest danger is other drivers who speed and do not follow traffic rules near schools.
He says everyone needs to be more careful and show good manners on the road.
Vehicles ferrying students converge at school campuses in Pune during start and end times, causing bottlenecks and traffic jams.
Sanjay Shendge, principal of Sheth Dagaduram Katariya High School, said 60-70 vehicles ferry over 900 students daily and the school deploys two teachers at its gates to manage traffic.
A traffic signal installed last year at the chowk near New English School, Ramanbaug in Narayan Peth helped ease major traffic issues at the school's 2000-student campus.
School authorities say they cannot limit the number of students in private vehicles, as parents accept overloading in exchange for lower fares.
Ashley Eates, principal of The Bishop's Co-Ed School, Kalyani Nagar, said motorists speeding and ignoring traffic rules in school zones pose the biggest safety risks, attributing the issue to a lack of civic sense.
- Who
- Principals and teachers at schools in Pune, including Sanjay Shendge (Sheth Dagaduram Katariya High School), Ramesh Shelar (New English School, Ramanbaug) and Ashley Eates (The Bishop's Co-Ed School, Kalyani Nagar)
- What
- Managing traffic congestion and safety issues caused by student transport vehicles during school start and end times
- Where
- Pune, India, including the Narayan Peth and Kalyani Nagar areas
- When
- Daily at morning start and afternoon end times; the article does not specify a date
- Why
- Vehicles ferrying students converge at school campuses, creating bottlenecks and raising safety risks for children crossing roads
Enforcement-focused view
Responsibility and affordability view
Managing traffic at school gates
Enforcement-focused view
Traffic police should depute a constable at every school for 15 minutes twice a day to manage the smooth flow of traffic when schools start and finish.
Responsibility and affordability view
Schools cannot control public roads, and long-term road safety depends on greater personal responsibility and adherence to traffic rules by all motorists.
Overloading of student transport vehicles
Enforcement-focused view
Private operators regularly overload their vehicles, which is a safety risk for student passengers that schools should not tolerate.
Responsibility and affordability view
Parents demand overloaded vehicles because they pay less per student, and schools have no jurisdiction over private vehicles; fewer students per vehicle would mean fares many families cannot afford.
Key facts
- City
- Pune, India
- Sheth Dagaduram Katariya High School students
- Over 900
- Vehicles plying daily at Katariya High School
- 60-70
- Congestion duration
- 12-15 minutes at each arrival and departure
- New English School, Ramanbaug students
- About 2000
- Traffic signal
- Installed last year at the chowk near New English School in Narayan Peth
- Safety concerns raised
- Overloading by private operators, motorists driving on the wrong side, speeding and indiscriminate parking in school zones
Quotes
Sanjay Shendge
Principal of Sheth Dagaduram Katariya High School
“Before the signal was installed, we used to have major traffic issues. Our teachers would have to go out to the road to manage the traffic. But now, the signal helps and traffic exits smoothly.”
indianexpress.com
“These seemingly minor violations create unnecessary congestion and significantly increase the risk to children during pick-up and drop-off times.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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