Safety of children during travel to and from school is non-negotiable: Hyderabad CP Anand

Hyderabad: City Police Commissioner CV Anand has called for increased student safety, especially during the daily commute.

“The safety of children during their travel to and from school is non-negotiable. Every stakeholder must play their part,” he asserted.

The Commissioner was addressing a high-level meeting on student transportation safety convened by the Hyderabad Police at Ravindra Bharathi here.

The session witnessed active participation from school managements, auto-rickshaw driver unions, Road Transport Authority (RTA) officials, traffic police personnel, and representatives from the District Revenue Department.

During the meeting, Anand laid out a set of protocols and expectations for schools and transport operators. He instructed school authorities to ensure routine fitness inspections of school buses, mandatory breathalyzer tests for bus drivers and attendants, implementation of staggered school timings to reduce peak-hour congestion, and deployment of adequate security and traffic volunteers around school premises.

The Commissioner also issued a stern reminder to auto-rickshaw drivers to avoid overcrowding their vehicles, cautioning that negligence in this regard directly jeopardizes the safety of students.

Focus on enforcement and awareness

The Traffic Police Department will conduct frequent checks to detect and penalize traffic violations, especially those that endanger schoolchildren. These enforcement drives will be coupled with a series of awareness programmes in schools, aimed at educating students, parents, and transport staff about road safety best practices.

“The objective is not just regulation, but also awareness and shared responsibility,” Anand noted, emphasizing a collaborative approach to student safety.

This initiative marks a renewed push by Hyderabad Police to enforce accountability among all stakeholders involved in school transport and ensure a secure commuting environment for every student in the city.

Hyderabad District Collector Harishchandana Dasari, GHMC Additional Commissioner Gopal, Joint Transport Commissioner Ramesh, TGSRTC executive director Munisekhar, and senior officials from the education, traffic, and civic departments were also present.