In a bid to tackle rising road accidents and chronic traffic congestion, the Maharashtra Police, in coordination with the education department, has launched a structured road safety education initiative for school students across Thane. The move follows an eight-day intensive training workshop held from April 15 to 22 at the Thane City Traffic Control Room, which saw participation from teachers of 173 schools.
Officials said the programme aims to integrate road safety awareness into the regular academic curriculum, ensuring students are sensitised to traffic discipline from an early age.
The workshop was conducted under the guidance of Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre and Joint Commissioner Dr Dnyaneshwar Chavan. It was led by Deputy Commissioner of Traffic Pankaj Shirsat, along with divisional coordination officers Dilip Swami and Manilal Shimpi.
During the training, Road Safety Trainer Vaibhav Kale provided practical sessions on traffic regulation and parade drills, along with modules on disaster management, civil defence, first aid, and firefighting. Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sanjay Kelkar, who also serves as Chief Warden of the Civil Defence Force, visited the session and interacted with participants.
Trained students to assist in road safety drives, festivals and public events
Police said schools will now be encouraged to form ‘Road Traffic Safety Squads’ and ‘Civil Defence Squads’, aimed at fostering discipline, leadership, and civic responsibility among students.
“This initiative is not just about traffic rules but about shaping responsible citizens. It will also help remove misconceptions around the khaki uniform and strengthen values of service and national integration,” said Shirsat.
Officials added that trained students are expected to actively participate in Road Safety Week and assist during major public events, festivals, and awareness drives in the future.
