SIX years after it took over the the management and maintenance of the Children’s Traffic Park in the city, the Traffic Consultative Committee (TCC) feels there is a need for a more sustained intervention to improve the traffic situation in Ahmedabad. Because the TCC aims that children grow up to be traffic-aware citizens.

When the TCC took over the running of the park at Sardar Baug in Lal Darwaja, it had its objective clear: teach the kids about traffic rules and road safety norms so that the traffic situation would improve. TCC, a group of concerned citizens, runs under the umbrella of Road Safety Academy, a public trust.

It is extremely difficult to enforce rules on rash drivers. So it is best to inculcate safe driving practices among kids,” says Shaheriar B Zaveri, a member of the group.

According to Zaveri, traffic sense and education should be included in the curriculum for schoolchildren. Zaveri is also the director of Road Safety Automative Management that provides training in safe driving practices.

The park set up by AMC in 1977 had been abandoned until TCC re-opened it in May 2001. It was soon convereted into a mini traffic city, complete with traffic signals, road signs, and small vehicles.

“We have 71 bicycles. Children in the age group of 5-12 years use them while keeping traffic rules in mind,’’ says Khurshid Mansuri, park in-charge, adding that on an average about 1,000 children visit the park daily.

There are Home Guards to educate the children about road and traffic signage.

Here children can be at the driving seat of miniature vehicles. “Awesome,” is how nine-year-old Shiaraz Wagenaar describes his visits to the park.

He says the traffic inside the park is much better than that outside. “I have to be careful about staying to the left, ride slowly over speed breakers, and follow the road signs and traffic signals,” he says.The Road Safety Academy charges Rs 5 per child as entry fee. “We have even had child beggars collecting pennies and coming to the park,” says Gauri Wagenaar, coordinator of the TCC.

A skating rink has also been developed inside the park along with a play area consisting of sand-pits, swings and slides.

“Until a few months ago, a police van was available to bring schoolchildren to the park everyday. But after the van was withdrawn, the park had to cancel many appointments,” says Wagenaar.

The park survives on the funds received from donors and also the amount collected as entry fees. But that is not enough. The management now looks for funds for the park’s exhibition hall which is on the point of collapse.

“The hall has been lying vacant for over a year for want of repairs...It used to have an audio-visual section where kids were shown films developed by the Department of Transport,’’ says Parthiv Adhyaru, chairman of the Road Safety Academy.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Manoj Agarwal says, “The Traffic Consultative Committee is a proactive citizens’ group which makes commendable efforts in spreading traffic awareness in the city. The Children’s Traffic Park, managed by the committee, is a great way to inculcate good traffic sense among children.”

Courtesy : Expressindia.com

IN preparation for an information technology surge in the state, government-owned Gujarat Informatics Limited (GIL) has launched a training course for equipping youth with skills for business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs.

In association with IBM, GIL would design and impart the course at the Bhaskaracharya Institute of Space and Geoinformatics (BISAG) in Gandhinagar.

Called BPOsitive, the initiative is in addition to the one planned in association with NASSCOM.

ND Panchal, Senior Manager (Service), GIL, said, “We are the second state in the country chosen by NASSCOM for this test. By the time the whole exercise is complete, we hope to double the employee strength in the BPO sector.”

While the NAC test is for 2,000 candidates, BPOsitive would be available all those who apply. The department plans to organise a national job fair in October that would see participation of BPO companies from across the country.

“The main idea behind the initiative is to get all those getting trained and certified get a job by the end of this year,” Panchal added.

Officials further said that they have tied up with some BPO companies for job placements.

The course is open for graduates, diploma holders, even HSC pass students with good communication skills.

BPO jobs are set to double this year in the state. We want the youth here to be ready for them,” officials added.


Courtesy : Expressindia.com