Bengaluru: Despite police diktat parking chaos continues near schools

Bengaluru: Parking of private vehicles and school buses in front of the schools and surrounding areas has become a menace both at Central Business Day (CBD) and at residential roads.

National Public School and New Horizon School at Indiranagar are classic examples of how schools in residential areas and busy roads inconvenience the commuters. This menace is not just limited to Indiranagar, but spread across the city including areas such as Residency Road, Museum Road, Kamaraj Road, High Grounds and Richmond Road.

Although traffic cops have issued directions to allow vehicles into the school campus, some schools lack adequate space to accommodate them, while many others do not allow private vehicles and school buses into the campus. Due to this, many vehicles remain parked outside the school premises and it leads to traffic congestion, said a parent on condition of anonymity.

Senior IPS officer M.A. Saleem brought in certain measures to ensure smooth movement of vehicles as well as school children. Safe route to school and hiring BMTC buses to carry students are some of the measures, but both the police and school management failed to implement and sustain it, the
parent added.

The traffic police and education department must ensure that these private schools have adequate parking space. The police must direct schools to allow vehicles inside the campus. Right now, only school buses are allowed inside the school compound and that too during school hours. Other vehicles line up the streets and create chaos, the parent remarked.

A traffic cop on duty said that controlling school buses is a daily ordeal. On one hand safety and timings of children have to be considered, on the other they face severe criticism as these buses cause traffic congestion.

"Further, we are risking our lives by exposing ourselves to pollution. Many policemen, including myself, have developed bronchitis related issues, which gets worse as we grow old," rued a cop.

The government must formulate a policy and make commuting including private ones affordable. Only then will the parents be eager to send their wards in public transport, a senior police official said.

Bethany school at Koramangala has allowed parking inside the campus and this has reduced traffic congestion near the school.