Green in Action Honorary Mention
Bharat Mata E/M School
Bilaspur, India
This project was designed to regulate traffic chaos in front of our school building which houses two separate schools; English Medium and Hindi Medium. During ten minutes gap from closure of English Medium and commencement of Hindi medium Schools nearly 2450 students reading in Class VI to XII used to assemble in the main gate for exit/entry. At the same time the road is blocked due to congestion of students, auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws, parents, and public traveling through the main road. With this well-defined traffic regulation, chaos is eradicated though cooperation and awareness.This is the result of an inspiration to identify solution to the congested traffic in front of our school. Our school building accommodates two schools; English Medium which closes at 11.55 hrs. and Hindi Medium which commences at 12.05 hrs. 2232 students with 900 bicycles and 500 two-wheelers assemble between 11.55 to 12.05 hrs. in the main entrance, which is incidentally a main road where dozens of cycle-rickshaws, auto-trishaws, and other public/private vehicles park to pick up/drop the students apart from numerous passing vehicles. We worked for TWO months to achieve the result.
Consequent upon studies, analysis and discussions we have designed the following regulation on entry/exit to school building. Students coming from South and west sides of the school keeps their vehicles in Church compound and enter/exit through west side gate from the church compound, students coming from north and east sides park their vehicles in east side of the school and enter/exit through South-East side from the main road, Teachers enter through the main gate and keep their vehicles in the corner of school ground, to avoid unwanted crossing in the main road in front of the school building .In order to achieve the desired result of our project we devised the following action plan: - At the very outset we obtained the approval of Principals of both English and Hindi Medium Schools. Then we educated the students of both Hindi and English Medium schools class-wise during games period. During recess we also counseled the students group-wise.With the permission of our Teachers, we left the school 5 minutes advance and counseled auto-rickshaw and cycle-rickshaw drivers to park their vehicles away from the entrances. We also motivate the students during counseling to suggest their parents to drop/pick up them little distance away from the entrance. English Medium Teachers were requested to wait for five minutes to leave with their vehicles since by which time all the students will be vacating the school premises. Our actions were well acknowledged and students started keeping their vehicles as stipulated and made their entry/exit through the earmarked gates.
Since the students were entering/exiting through nominated gates, both auto-rickshaw and cycle-rickshaw drivers parked their
vehicles near to the nominated gate of the area. Project results so far: The amazing result achieved is very much tangible. Both the inflow and outflow of students is very well regulated and chaos in the main road disappeared automatically. Road users are having a very pleasant riding. Now no Police personnel are deputed to regulate the traffic. Even the VVIP movements are arranged freely. Elimination of unwanted crossing resulted smooth traffic. As a by-product sound pollution by continuous sounding of horns, air pollution with frequent rising of vehicles, excessive burning of fuel oil of vehicles amidst traffic block etc. could also be saved with this effort, though cannot be estimated accurately.
Above all, young students reading in Class VI to XII have understood the importance of following traffic rules in their daily life. This worthy achievement through the participation and enforcement of self-discipline by nearly 2250 students of both Bharat Matha English and Hindi Medium schools set an example to many. Visualizing this self-discipline, cycle-rickshaw and auto-rickshaw drivers have also started parking their vehicle at least near the school in a regulated manner.