LAHORE: In light of the recommendations by a team of Turkish experts, topics on road safety will be included in school syllabi from Class II to IX.

Under this plan, City Traffic Police (CTP) will also establish traffic education parks across the city. The CTP also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) to establish three driving schools of international standard in the city as part of its road safety campaign. Tevta Chairman Irfan Qaiser Sheikh and Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rai Ijaz Ahmed signed the MoU on Wednesday.

The CTO said that a team of Turkish experts had visited Lahore to analyse traffic issues and suggest solutions. He said the team recommended the government to include traffic rules and safety-related topics in the syllabus of schools from classes II to XI. He said several people had lost their lives due to violation of traffic laws, adding that use of helmets and seatbelts could save thousands of lives.

He also said that the CTP were issuing fine tickets to motorists for violating traffic rules but it was not bringing any change. “Only education about traffic rules and road safety measures can bring change,” he added.

The CTO said 832 master trainers of traffic police were directed to deliver lectures on traffic rules and safety at educational institutions and more than 365 schools/colleges and 40,460 students had been briefed about traffic rules. He said on the recommendation of the team, three state-of-the-art driving schools would be built in the city to train youngsters.

He further said the youth could get jobs in different national and multinational companies after getting training from the driving schools, adding that anyone from 18 to 50 years of age was eligible to apply for admission to the driving school.

Later, Pakistan Red Crescent and CTP signed MoU to serve as ‘first aid responder’ for saving lives and assisting the injured in any emergency.

The Red Crescent and other volunteers also distributed 2,500 umbrellas, 400 hats and 1,500 bottles among traffic wardens at a ceremony held at Qurban Lines.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2017