Road safety audit flags major gaps around schools in Mumbai’s Andheri

A yearlong pilot initiative to improve road safety in school zones has revealed serious gaps in basic infrastructure around several municipal schools in Mumbairsquos Andheri areaThe project titled lsquoStrengthening Road Safety for Children and Adolescentsrsquo was implemented by the United Nations Childrens Fund UNICEF and the Centre for Advocacy and Research CACR across schools in the KEast Ward of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC Conducted with support from the BMCrsquos Education Department the initiative aimed to raise awareness among stakeholders and help schools identify areas requiring improvement to ensure safer road conditions for studentsThe programme which ran from February 2025 to March 2026 was based on a framework developed by the Centre for Environmental Education As part of the initiative 94 students were trained as lsquoroad safety messengersrsquo while 57 teachers were designated as lsquoroad safety ambassadorsrsquo Overall the programme reached 2609 students across 34 municipal schools in the wardA School Road Safety Audit conducted in August 2025 across the 34 schools highlighted several infrastructure deficiencies that could pose risks to students The audit found that many schools lacked clearly visible lsquoSchool Zonersquo signboards speed limit signage and distance warning boardsIt also revealed that footpaths near school zones were often missing damaged or encroached upon forcing pedestrians to walk on the road In addition heavy traffic congestion during school arrival and dispersal hours random parking near school gates and the absence of designated dropoff zones were identified as key safety concerns for childrenTo address these issues the project adopted a participatory approach involving teachers students and local communities The trained peer leaders have conducted 180 sessions on road safety reaching more than 2600 students School Safety Committees have also been set up in all 34 participating schools to coordinate safety measures and identify concerns These committees have already held 144 meetingsAudit finds basic road safety infrastructure around many schools in KEast Ward inadequateldquoCreating safer school environments and improving traffic management during arrival and dispersal hours are essential The audit indicates that basic road safety infrastructure around many schools in KEast Ward is inadequate It requires special coordinated support from the traffic police and local authoritiesrdquo said Gorakhnath Bhavri Administrative Officer Schools KEast WardSurekha Marathe headmistress of Marol Police Camp Marathi Municipal School said both students and teachers have been equipped to serve as longterm advocates of road safety within their communitiesldquoBoth peer leaders and teachers have been equipped to serve as longterm road safety advocates within their schools They are the backbone of student engagement cascading road safety knowledge through their classrooms and communitiesrdquo she saidOfficials said the impact of the initiative is already visible in some schools At Nityanand Municipal School near the Western Express Highway issues such as the absence of speed breakers and traffic congestion due to a shared gate were addressed after the intervention Speed breakers zebra crossings and school zone signboards have since been installed and separate entry and exit gates introduced to manage student movement more safelyThe programme also emphasised community participation with 965 community members sensitised about road safety These included autorickshaw unions as well as delivery partnersGoing forward organisers plan to expand the initiative to additional schools in Mumbai They also aim to establish periodic monitoring mechanisms and hold joint review meetings with civic and traffic authorities to ensure sustained implementation of road safety measures around schools