Paro police trained students of five schools on basic traffic rules and traffic controlling methods last week.

About 20 students from each school will monitor traffic during peak hours in the mornings and evenings at the road junction near their schools.

Royal Bhutan Police’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) in Paro, Colonel Pasang Dorji, said the programme was initiated after the school principals requested police to assist in the students’ safety.

He said that a teacher each from the schools is appointed as a focal person and police issued traffic jackets to 100 students. “I have called Dantak officer-in-command and asked him to come up with zebra crossings where necessary as part of the road in Paro town is maintained by them.”

Colonel Pasang Dorji said traffic police personnel would guide the students of Wochu and Taju Lower Secondary Schools, Khangkhu and Lango Middle Secondary Schools and Yoeserling Higher Secondary School to monitor traffic for the first few weeks.

He said that once the students are trained, traffic police would guide where necessary. “This will help us perform our duty well as we have limited men power.”

The SSP also claimed that in an effort to reduce crimes in the dzongkhag, various sensitisation activities are being carried out.

He said a marijuana uprooting campaign was conducted in the dzongkhag last weekend. “One of the root cause of drug abuse in the country is marijuana. The campaign was aimed to destroy this root cause of drug abuse.”

Colonel Pasang Dorji said that it would now be an annual event and uprooted marijuana plants will be burnt.

The police are continuing the sensitisation programme for villagers, teacher, students, shopkeepers and labourers in Paro on reducing crimes, ill effects of drugs, traffic rules.

Colonel Pasang Dorji said that police met the shopkeepers in Bondey and Tshongdue, students and teachers of eight schools, and Drugyel dzong renovation labourers. “Creating awareness and making people know about their surroundings and the crimes and drug issues in the area are important.”

He said that it alerts people and makes every individual in the community become responsible and do their part to help police reduce crimes.

Dechen Tshomo