Udaipur Municipal Corporation in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation and ICLEI-SA initiates children safety intervention

Udaipur,21 October : The Udaipur Municipal Corporation, in partnership with the Bernard Van Leer Foundation (BvLF)and ICLEI-SA, initiated a tactical intervention at Vidya Bhawan Pre-Primary School, under BvLF’s Urban95 program. The Urban95 initiative aimsto spread awareness about the use of public space and mobility, including road safety, of young children, especially children of pre-primary schools in the city. Mayor of Udaipur Chandra Singh Kothari and Commissioner Ankit Kumar Singh, visited the site to encourage the participants and support the intervention.

Urban95 interventions focus on helping cities support caregivers, such as parents and grandparents, babies and toddlers; increase access to, and use of the services and amenities families need, as well as reduce stresses on caregivers.

Speaking about the intervention Mayor Chandra Singh Kothari said, “Usually institutions plan community interventions for adults and youngsters, but we rarely see any activity done for children in the age group of 0-5 years. I am very pleased that BVLF along with ICLEI-SA and Udaipur Municipal Corporation have come together to work in this direction.  Through this initiative, we wish to create a pleasing surrounding for the children and their parents and ensure a safe zone for the school children.”

Udaipur is one of the fastest growing cities in Rajasthan. About 10.5 per cent of children in a city of nearly five lakh are below the age of 6 years.  The intervention has been initiated at the Vidya Bhawan Road, which is a well-connected and busy area with high vehicular traffic. In absence of the waiting area outside the school, parents and children often find it difficult to manoeuvre through the high-speeding vehicle traffic to reach the school, thus threatening the safety of the child and the caregiver with him or her.Colourful pavements and zones created as part of the intervention will help vehicles become aware that the crossing is meant for children.