Ensure children’s safety on road, panel urges Badnore

Chandigarh, December 9

The Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) today appealed to UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore and the Inspector General of Police, Chandigarh, take steps for the safety of children riding cycles or walking to schools.

The CCPCR referred to the reports in which 11-year-old Gaurav of Class V, St Anne’s Convent School, was killed on December 8, 2 016 after a truck hit his cycle near Gurudwara Sahib Chowk on Sector 20-33 dividing road.

CCPCR chairperson Devi Sirohi said: “In the letter, the commission mentioned that there are approximately 115 government schools and 80 private schools in the city. The rough estimate of children riding by cycles in the city is over 30,000 and above 1 lakh children daily walk to their schools.” The letter stated that Chandigarh has cycle track of around 70 km spread across different sectors. However these tracks are poorly maintained, not well lit, making them unsafe after sunset. At places the tracks are encroach upon by road side vendors causing obstruction to cyclists and being used by auto-rickshaw drivers and rickshaw pullers for parking. Many a time people on two-wheelers and even cars use these tracks built only for slow moving vehicles.

Resultantly, the children are at a safety risk at the end of the track when they have to merge with the fast moving traffic at rotaries or traffic lights. The plans for dedicated cycle tracks which go direct without touching road intersections still have to see daylight. At many places in and around the city, there exists virtually no pedestrian path for children to walk safely. The CCPCR pointed out that though Chandigarh Administration has mooted several proposals to promote Chandigarh a pedestrian and cycle friendly city, they are yet to be fully implemented.