Traffic cops will guard the Diamond Harbour Road stretch in front of Barisha Uchcha Balika Vidyamandir, where the child who was mowed down by a lorry on Friday studied in Class II, from early on Monday to ensure the safety of the children and guardians, officers said.
Police said they have informed the authorities of the school at Behala Chowrasta that the cops will try to ensure that students and guardians walk across the road only through the zebra crossing and when the traffic signal is red for motorists.
The move came two days after a Class II student of the school and his father were hit by a lorry on Diamond Harbour Road while they were trying to walk across the artery and reach the school on the opposite flank.
Souraneel Sarkar, 8, died on the spot, while his father suffered multiple injuries.
Guardians and others who were at the spot when the accident happened said there were no policemen on the stretch. The lorry that allegedly killed the child fled the spot, taking advantage of the lack of policemen, and could be intercepted two-and-a-half hours later in Howrah’s Santragachhi, around 15km from the accident spot.
Five boom barriers have been installed on the stretch, including one in front of the school’s gate, to regulate the movement of pedestrians who want to walk across the road.
A senior officer of the traffic department said the police deployment in front of the school will be from Monday through Saturday.
“The morning shift starts at 6am. A team of officers will take up position in front of the school right at that time. The primary idea is to ensure that no student or guardian is allowed to cross the
road anywhere other than through the zebra crossing,” said the officer.
Guardrails have been set up along the road to block pockets through which pedestrians could sneak into the main road, increasing chances of accident.
Kolkata traffic police installed drop-gates and built foot-overbridges and dedicated ramps for bicycles on many of the busy stretches, including the Chingrighata crossing, to reduce accidents. But in many places these have failed to prevent jaywalking.
The Telegraph recently reported that despite all arrangements at the Chingrighata crossing, cops often have to shout or wave their hands at pedestrians and cyclists, who cross the Bypass with vehicles speeding past them.
Drop-gates have also been installed at the Exide crossing, Park Street-JL Nehru Road crossing and Ruby hospital crossing. But that has hardly changed the situation as pedestrians still choose to flout the rule and walk across the roads.
According to the rule, pedestrians can cross the road only through zebra crossings when the traffic signal is red for vehicles.
The police had said on Friday morning that Souraneel and his father had alighted from an auto and were crossing the road to reach the median divider, which was a few metres from the zebra crossing.
“Unfortunately, the father and the son fell in the blind spot of the lorry driver as they walked right in front of the vehicle when the traffic signal turned green. We will try to sensitise the children and their parents on road rules,” said an officer of the traffic department.