Byculla to get Mumbai's first ‘Safe School Zone’

Under the initiative, a perimeter of 500 metres around the school will be made safer for students, teachers and parents

An initiative to provide a safer environment for children and teachers to reach their schools through clutter-free footpaths and roads with restricted vehicular movement will be implemented on Mirza Ghalib Road (Clare Road) after a successful pilot project.

The BMC completed the pilot under its Safe School Zone project after collaborating with the traffic department. It is now working on another ‘Safer School Access Ecosystem' on Nesbit Road. "Well utilisation of space of schools' campuses and surroundings will improve the safety of students. It will also improve facilities for pedestrians," said a BMC official.

Under the project, a perimeter of 500 metres will be made safer for students and the school community including teachers, parents and other stakeholders, to help them walk and access the school without obstructions.

The BMC will spend Rs 1.67 crore to implement the project on Clare Road, said officials. "The trial has been successful and received very positively by the school community at Clare Road. Now we will make it permanent," said Manish Valanju, additional commissioner of E ward. He added, "Now, we are planning our next safe school project at Nesbit Road which has four big schools."

Though the BMC has made a provision of Rs 50 crore for the Safe School Zone initiative in the next financial year, the project on Nesbit Road will be pursued through the CSR route.