Educational institutions, especially schools, should provide bays on their own land for parking, and to drop and pick up students to avoid inconvenience to other road users as most of the schools in Mysuru have huge plots of land, according to parents here.
S Sadananda, a parent said: "When we pass by the school as a road-user, we feel irritated by the congestion caused because of the haphazardly parked vehicles and the piling up of vehicles to drop or pick up students. However, when we drop or pick up our own children, we do not consider the inconvenience caused to the other road users,” he said.
G Marigowda, another parent said: “The choice of a school is that of a parent. My point is that most of the schools in Mysuru have adequate lands that can be spared for public good to avoid problems for regular road users”.
Compared to Bengaluru, Mysuru is a liveable city, Dr Ismail Sharif, another parent, said, "We do not face severe traffic congestion except on weekends and holidays when the influx of tourists is more. Similarly, compared to schools in Bengaluru, schools in Mysuru have better availability of land. So, there should not be a problem in providing bays for the convenience of the students and their parents,” he said.
Safety of students
“Bays would ensure the safety of students. It is unsafe to drop or pick up students from the roadside that too when the density of vehicles is more during peak hours. It is also not safe for parents. It is better to be cautious. That too when the schools have adequate lands,” Sadananda said.
Marigowda said all that the schools should do is spare some land within their compound and spend some money as a one-time investment. “An entry and exit point can be provided by laying a 40-feet or 60-feet road with a three-feet wide footpath. The schools can build another wall or erect a fence to separate the bay from the main school campus,” he said.
Dr Sharif said officials of the education and police departments and that of Mysuru City Corporation can take up the issue with the schools on a proper platform.
“The measure can serve as a model for other towns and cities as traffic density is on the rise at an alarming rate. There is a need to find ways to decongest vehicular traffic as far as possible. It has to be noted that already roads are used more for parking and stopping vehicles rather than for movement in many places. Let us free our roads for transportation,” he said.