Bengaluru: This park teaches road safety to kids

Not many people are aware of a park in the heart of Bengaluru where the traffic police teach road rules to school children and interact with them for free.

Police Traffic Park is tucked in a corner near St Mark’s Circle, opposite Airlines Hotel.

It is not open to the general public. Traffic police stations across the city invite schools in their limits to arrange for an excursion to the park. Schools can also request a visit by writing to the office of the Joint Commissioner, Traffic, on Infantry Road.

The traffic police also encourage auto and cab drivers to come over for a demonstration.

Each session lasts for an hour and a half and is conducted by a sub-inspector. To ensure the availability of traffic personnel, the department usually organises one visit a day.

What to expect

The spot where the Police Traffic Park now stands was once a garbage dump and a den for anti-social elements. It was given a facelift in 2020.

Today, it looks like a neighbourhood park from the outside albeit much smaller. Giant trees loom over foliage, walkways, a gazebo, cement benches, and a play zone. It’s when you step inside is when you realise the asphalted walkways are modelled after real-life roads. They feature white markings on them, a zebra crossing and a yellow box junction. The last one is a rectangular box with criss-cross yellow lines. Traffic lights with a countdown timer are installed on the four corners of the junction. They are switched on during the demonstration.

These paths are also flanked by sign boards. They mark spaces where one can park vehicles, where parking or right or U-turns aren’t allowed, and where there is no road ahead and one needs to turn right or left (the ‘T intersection’ sign). There is also a ‘school zone’ sign to alert motorists to watch out for children crossing the street. Some sign boards come with Kannada descriptions.

Behind the play zone, flex boards list out more don’ts than dos of road etiquette. Avoid jaywalking, signal jumping, unnecessary honking, driving on the footpath or using phone or ear phones when you are riding, they state. The walls are painted with colourful scenes depicting children cycling with helmets on, and a cop issuing a challan to a man who flouted the ‘No parking’ rule.

Children speak

When Metrolife visited the park recently, a group of 20 children studying in Class 7 had come over with two of their teachers. They were from a school in Doddathoguru, Electronics City Phase 1. Two girls found the explanation about information, cautionary and mandatory sign boards insightful. “We also learnt why we should not stop inside the yellow junction box,” one added.

To request a visit, write to [e-mail]

‘Syllabus on road safety proposed’

The park was conceived under the Students Association for Road Safety programme. The aim is to inculcate traffic discipline in children in a safe environment. The focus is on students from Class 1 to 10, says joint commissioner of police (traffic), M N Anucheth. “We are working with the education department on incorporating a syllabus on road safety. It is under active consideration,” he told Metrolife.