Around 200 people are trained by the BTP on road safety everyday

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The city traffic police trained 34,521 people, including KSRTC and BMTC drivers, traffic wardens, and school and college students, at the Traffic Training Road Safety Institute at Thanisandra in 2023, which is the highest when compared with the figures in the last three years.

Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, MN Anucheth, said that the Traffic Training was initiated by the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) with an aim to instill positive awareness on road safety among the riders and drivers in Bengaluru.

"Around 200 persons are given awareness training regarding road safety by the personnel at all the major junctions every day," Anucheth added.

A 2023 report from the BTP showed that the number of fatal accidents in the city touched 870, recording a 10-year high. As per the report, the figure in 2013 stood at 733.

The year also saw 4,959 accidents in which 899 people were killed. Of the 4,959 accidents, 4,089 were non-fatal in which 4,176 people were injured.

Several campaigns were handled online through various social media platforms where traffic personnel from all 48 Traffic Police Stations across the city were directed to share the pictures and videos of the drives conducted.

At the Traffic Training Road Safety Institute, they have been training the traffic police apart from the general public since 1975.

"There are a number of long-term and short-term courses designed specifically for police officers and the public. They are given intensive training about the investigation of accidents and laws pertaining to enforcement through audio-visual mode," a senior traffic official said.

He also said that the Institute also provides its expertise in sensitising KSRTC, BMTC drivers, Fire Services personnel, drivers of public and private sectors, Home Guards, traffic wardens as well as school and college students.

"The participants will be given training in drill, marching, traffic signals, etc., and will be taken to important junctions in the area to regulate the traffic. The students who are trained under this scheme will also regulate traffic in front of their own schools," he explained.

Among those trained by the BTP in 2023, 872 were school children, 1450 BMTC drivers, 1090 Army Officers and 958 Police staff, the report said.

The Traffic Police Wing is going to celebrate the Road Safety Week from January 11 to 17 in the city during which all the traffic police stations will be holding various sessions of road safety apart from special enforcement drives, MN Anucheth said.