Gurugram’s Kadipur Safe School Zone first-of-its-kind road safety intervention

In a first-of-its-kind urban road safety intervention in Haryana, the Kadipur Safe School Zone (SSZ) project is emerging as a scalable model to transform how cities design streets for children. Anchored under the Gurugram Vision Zero programme, the initiative goes beyond cosmetic upgrades to fundamentally redesign high-risk school surroundings into safer, pedestrian-first zones.

At the heart of the project is a stark reality—India loses nearly 42 children daily in road accidents, with rapidly urbanising cities like Gurugram witnessing heightened risks due to traffic congestion, poor pedestrian infrastructure, and unsafe school access routes. A detailed safety audit conducted across 10 government schools in Gurugram revealed systemic gaps: no continuous footpaths, absence of speed calming measures, lack of crossings and chaotic access points, forcing children to navigate active traffic lanes daily.

Kadipur to act as pilot transformation

The Government Primary School in Kadipur, located along the busy Pataudi Road, was identified as a high-conflict zone. Nearly 80 per cent of the students walk or cycle to school, yet the area earlier lacked even basic infrastructure like sidewalks or safe crossings. Garbage dumping, encroachments and unregulated traffic further compounded risks. The intervention has now re-engineered the entire school ecosystem. The area has been divided into a “School access zone” (within 100 metres of the gate) and a “School proximal zone”, ensuring gradual behavioural change among drivers.

Key infrastructure upgrades

Continuous, bollard-protected footpaths to segregate pedestrians from vehicles

Raised tabletop crossings designed to slow traffic to pedestrian speed

Strict 25 km/h speed limit enforcement with enhanced signage

Dedicated off-road waiting areas for parents and children

Visual cues like murals to alert drivers entering a child-sensitive zone

Sustainable construction methods using recycled materials

Policy vision: From one school to citywide network

Officials say the Kadipur project is not a standalone intervention but a proof-of-concept for large-scale replication. The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), in collaboration with the Raahgiri Foundation and supported by corporate partners, plans to establish at least one Safe school zone in every municipal ward this year.

Expansion to prioritise

Government schools located along arterial and high-traffic corridors

Areas with high footfall and accident vulnerability

Zones lacking basic pedestrian infrastructure

Schools in dense urban villages and peri-urban belts

The long-term roadmap aligns with ‘vision zero’ principles, aiming to eliminate road fatalities through engineering, enforcement, and behavioural change.

Minister’s call for citizen participation

Haryana Cabinet Minister Rao Narbir Singh underscored the broader social vision behind the initiative.

“This project brings together three things that mean the world to me: our children, their safety and our environment. If a street is safe for the smallest child and the oldest grandmother, it is safe for all of us. The Kadipur Safe School Zone is the first in Haryana, but it will not be the last. We will build many more. I need the participation — the bhagidari — of every citizen to make this vision real.”

A shift in urban planning mindset

Urban planners view the project as a shift from vehicle-centric design to child-centric mobility planning. By integrating traffic calming, pedestrian infrastructure, and behavioural nudges, the model aims at reducing fatal errors caused by speed and poor visibility.

With Gurugram targeting rapid scaling of such zones, the Kadipur SSZ could serve as a template for cities across Haryana and India, ensuring that safe, dignified, and fear-free school commutes become a universal reality rather than an exception.