Green signal to traffic parks
Four of Delhi's traffic training parks, the oldest of which came up in 1964, have been in a state of neglect. But this is about to change. An initiative of the traffic police hopes to turn these deserted destinations into tourist hubs
It’s been almost 48 years since the children's traffic park at Baba Kharak Singh Marg was inaugurated. Over the years, the park has seen some restoration and new quirks like driving simulators being added to it but it never quite become a popular destination for schoolchildren to learn road safety.
As soon as you enter the park, you can see miniature roads, speed bumps, cycle tracks, traffic lights and fake banks to give children a look and feel of how the city traffic can be. But it doesn't take long to realise that the park which came up in 1964 is crying for a major revamp. The signals all work, the roads are fairly even and look good to hold mock road safety drills. But the road signs are fading and the “mini city” inside the park is literally on the verge of a collapse.
| STOP, LOOK, GO |
|
Delhi is home to four such parks — apart from the one on Kharak Singh Marg, there's one each in Punjabi Bagh, Bal Bhawan and Roshanara Road. The parks were initially conceptualised with the aim of creating awareness about traffic rules among children aged 8 to 14. Lack of manpower and interest from children and schools has now left in a state of utter neglect. A constable on duty at one of the parks says, “There are only two of us here during the day.” These constables are well versed in traffic rules and safety drills but they need more staff to run this place. “The concrete structures are old and can collapse anytime,” he says.
Perhaps that’s why the Delhi traffic police has given a nod for a complete overhaul of these parks, starting from the one at Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Sudhir Yadav, special commissioner of police (traffic), says the new park will be an ideal place for motorists to test their driving skills in real-time situations. “Delhi College of Arts and Commerce has conceptualised the design and this particular park will be developed within a year,” Yadav adds. The total cost of revamping is yet to be worked out.
Yadav doesn’t reveal details of the design but says that miniature models of Delhi’s landmarks like the Qutub Minar, India Gate and Lotus Temple would be depicted in the park. It won’t be a children's park alone but will also attract tourists, he adds. “The idea is not to attract crowds in large numbers but to train people about road safety through fun activities.” Driving simulators and computer games on road safety would also be a feature here.
As of now these parks don’t attract too many visitors. Once a month, perhaps a school does bring its students, says the constable. There are also visitors who drop in out of curiosity but many aren’t even aware that such a park exists, he adds. “We try our best but it becomes difficult,” he says. Say, if a group of 30 children turns up, there isn’t enough staff to guide them.
Yadav agrees that this is a problem but adds that it will be addressed in the new park. “Traffic personnel will be deployed and we want to give visitors a real-time experience.” There will be instructors, guides and there’s also a plan to show movies on road safety on a regular basis in the park.
In the past too, Delhi traffic police has made several attempts to revamp the park in order to attract more visitors. It even brought out a sketchy graphic book of stories titled Road Safety Tales — The First Step in collaboration with Sketch Publications. This book was available at the park. But it didn't help much in drawing visitors to the park.
The day we land at the Baba Kharak Singh Marg park, it is completely deserted. If it lives up to its promise, the revamped park could become a destination for learning traffic safety rules and regulations, not only for children but also for adults. With the miniature models in place, it is also likely to attract tourists.