Road safety audit finds missing signage, damaged footpaths outside Mumbai schools

A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND road safety audit of areas outside school zones in Mumbai has flagged several gaps in basic infrastructure that put students at risk, including missing signboards, damaged or encroached footpaths and heavy congestion during school hours.

The audit was conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Centre for Advocacy and Research (CACR) under a pilot project titled Strengthening Road Safety for Children and Adolescents.

Under the initiative, roads outside 34 schools in the K-East ward of Andheri were audited between February 2025 and March 2026.

The report found that many roads lacked visible school zone signboards, distance warning boards and speed limit signage.

Footpaths outside several schools were either missing, damaged or encroached upon, forcing children to walk on the carriageway.

Traffic congestion during school arrival and dispersal hours was also recorded as a major concern.

According to the report, the congestion is largely caused by unplanned parking outside school gates and the absence of designated pick-up and drop-off zones.

“Creating safer school environments and improving traffic management during arrival and dispersal hours are essential.

The audit indicates that basic road safety infrastructure around many schools in K-East ward is inadequate and requires coordinated support from the traffic police and local authorities,” said Gorakhnath Bhavri, Administrative Officer (Schools), K-East ward.

The project adopted a participatory approach involving teachers and students.

As part of the initiative, 57 teachers have been trained as “Road Safety Ambassadors” and 94 students as “Road Safety Messengers”, who have conducted awareness sessions reaching more than 2,600 students.

School Safety Committees have also been set up in all 34 participating schools, with 144 meetings held so far to identify and address safety concerns.

The report cited improvements near Nityanand Municipal School, located close to the Western Express Highway, where the absence of speed breakers and congestion caused by a shared school gate were identified during the audit.

Following the intervention, speed breakers, zebra crossings and school zone signboards were installed and separate entry and exit gates were introduced to streamline student movement.

Officials said the second phase of the project will expand the audit to other municipal wards and monitor whether the recommended safety measures are implemented.

Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express.

With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India.

Expertise & Authority
Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai.

Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in:
Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting.

City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region.

Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis:
National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.

State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019.

Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis.

Experience
Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies:
Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014).

Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express.

Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres....

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