Use carpooling apps, not crowded autos: Hyderabad Police Commissioner to parents

Hyderabad: With the new academic year underway, Hyderabad has launched a city-wide initiative to enhance the safety of school-going children. The Hyderabad Traffic Police, in coordination with school authorities and civic departments, held a high-level meeting at Ravindra Bharathi, drawing participation from over 750 school management representatives and several school children.

The meeting focused on key safety concerns, including valid vehicle permits, qualified drivers, mandatory female attendants on school buses, and improved traffic awareness.

C.V. Anand, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, delivered a clear message, “There will be no compromise on student safety. Strict action will be taken against underage driving and overloading. Schools must take ownership of safety within a 200-metre radius of their campuses.”

He urged schools and parents to prefer school buses over private vehicles, emphasized the need for CCTV cameras in and around school zones, and called for stronger institutional accountability. He also warned of legal action against schools that fail to implement safety measures, stating that any incident involving students will be treated as a criminal lapse on the part of the school management.

In a significant move, schools were asked to deploy at least two private security guards as traffic marshals to manage vehicle movement inside and outside school premises, covering a stretch of 200 metres on either side. These marshals will be trained and supervised by the traffic police.

Commissioner Anand also suggested reviving the School Traffic Commandos programme, which he had introduced 15 years ago during his tenure as Additional Commissioner of Traffic. He encouraged parents to use carpooling apps for safer travel instead of overcrowded autos.

Concerns were raised over the presence of pan shops and small vendors near schools, with reports of some being involved in narcotics sales. Officials stressed the need to remove such establishments to ensure a safer environment.

The meeting was attended by Hyderabad Collector Hari Chandana, Additional Commissioner of GHMC Gopal, Joint Transport Commissioner Ramesh, RTC Executive Director Munisekhar, and senior officials from the education, traffic, and civic departments. All departments shared suggestions and offered support to schools in implementing safety protocols.