Date:06/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/06/stories/2009010652890200.htm

Other States - Orissa

Drivers give tips on road safety measures to kids

Staff Reporter

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

In all attention: A boy and his mother listening the tips on road safety during the meet on ’Role of Mothers in Traffic Safety Awareness of Children’ organised in Berhampur on Monday. —

BERHAMPUR: The truck owners and lorry workers conducted an awareness camp on road safety at Jagannathpur on NH-5 on the outskirts of the city on Monday.

In the evening a seminar was organised by ‘Prerna’ in the city about role of mothers in teaching road safety to future generation. The joint effort by the truck owners and lorry workers was a unique experiment said Kamana Padhi, the president of the Berhampur Truck Owners’ Association. They had joined hands with the Ganjam Phulbani Lorry Workers’ Association (GPLWA) for this endeavour.

The truck owners and lorry workers mingled with schoolchildren in a rally organised on road safety.

The drivers gave the children some tips on road safety during their face-to-face interaction.

There also was a session of brain storming of the drivers and workers of trucks regarding the problems they face to maintain their own safety during their day-to-day job on roads.

The president of the GPLWA, Santosh Mohapatra and Regional Transport Officer, S.Satpathy also attended this session.

Health camp

A blood donation and eye check-up camp was organised for the motor vehicle drivers and staff at the spot. The needy were provided visual aids. More than 30 truck owners and drivers donated blood at the blood donation camp.

At the seminar on role of mothers in teaching road safety, which was chaired by Trinath Moharana, the speakers said it had become extreme necessary for mothers to get acquainted with norms of road safety first.

Berhampur Sub-Collector, Dhananjay Swain and Ganajm district women’s Congress president, Sanghamitra Dalai said it was the duty of every mother to make their children conscious of traffic rules as the roads had started to get more crowded and dangerous.