Reality show for safe Kolkata roads

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to the streets on Thursday to lead a rally on “Safe Drive, Safe Live” organised by the Kolkata police. The walk started from Moulali and ended at Esplanade.

She had launched the state-wide road safety campaign in July after stating “killing someone just due to reckless and rash driving is a crime”.

The rally travelled via Sealdah flyover, M.G. ro-ad, Amherst Street-Bank of India-C.R Avenue and ended at Mounted Police Ground at Esplanade.

“We are chalking out a long-term plan of 10 years to observe this initiative. A reality show will be organised involving school students and drivers. An NGO Karmayog, which is associated with organising the reality show Indian Idol, has been roped in to host the reality show,” a senior official of the Kolkata police traffic department said. The police has also taken up the issue of including the study of traffic in the school curriculum.

“We are holding talks with the state education department to work out the modalities,” the official added. The drivers of goods vehicles and passenger vehicles including auto rickshaws are being provided training and co-unselling on safe driving.

Along with the CM, urban development minister Firhad Hakim, power minister Sobhondeb Chatterjee, mayor and minister Sovan Chatterjee, youth affairs minister Aroop Biswas and home secretary Moloy De also took part in the rally.

The rally saw the participation of a number of school students, traffic sergeants and top brass of the Kolkata police.