To make youngsters and their parents aware of traffic rules, the Regional Transport Office in association with an FM radio station is conducting a campaign ‘Student of the Gear’ in the city till May 20. Dehradun Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) Arvind Pandey said that the motive behind this campaign is to inform not only students but their parents too about the traffic rules. The idea is to motivate students to wear helmets while riding on two-wheelers, to make them aware about the learners’ driving licence for gearless vehicles and to apply for licence and not to get in contact with any agent.
Since the start of the campaign, the Dehradun RTO has issued a total of 106 challans and seized 15 vehicles.
Pandey further said, “So far we have campaigned near four private schools. The problem is that even though we conduct awareness drive from time to time, students keep on breaking traffic rules, which is the main cause behind them being involved in accidents. It is the duty of parents also to not provide their minors with two-wheelers until they reach the proper age.”
He further added, “On the drive that was conducted near Convent of Jesus and Mary on Friday, we issued 21 challans and four vehicles were seized.”
Sanjay Dayal, a parent of a student studying in CJM, near which campaign was being organised by RTO on Friday said, “Though the campaign is good, we don’t have any other choice. My daughter feels uncomfortable going in a school van. She is in class X. I cannot drop and pick her up daily; we do not have any other choice. I ask her to wear helmet though.”
It is worth mentioning here that some parents gave the campaign positive response and asked officers from RTO to speak with their children in order to motivate them towards following
traffic rules.