Playing your role: Take a selfie, learn to respect traffic policemen

15 boys and as many girls were selected to serve as 'brand ambassadors' of traffic wardens

KARACHI:

No matter how 'uncool' it sounds, following traffic rules is important for our own safety, said Saad Ashraf on Wednesday.

The Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (Szabist) student was speaking at the morning assembly at the City School PAF Chapter. A group of five Szabist students have undertaken an initiative to spread awareness of traffic rules.

Called the 'brand ambassador programme', they plan to use schoolchildren to convince their families and friends to abide by traffic rules. Fifteen boys and 15 girls were selected to serve as brand ambassadors of the traffic police.

Addressing the assembly, Ashraf said that there are a few things that the brand ambassadors must take care of. These are to deliver the message of the importance to their families, to their friends, and to take a selfie with a policeman to show respect. "We all hate them [policemen]," said Ashraf. "Let's try to show them some respect and love."

He made the children realise how important their roles are. "Are you capable of influencing your parents to take you shopping?" he asked the students. "When you can make them take you shopping, you can also make them follow traffic rules."

Asraf questioned how many of the students loved their parents. "Eighty per cent of traffic accidents that result in death take place because the use of seatbelts was ignored," he pointed out. "It is time to change. And to change the society, you must first change yourself."

After his address, the selected brand ambassadors were made to pose for group photos. They held placards with messages that read: 'I will make sure my parents stop on red light', 'I am the guardian of traffic rules' and 'I will make my country proud'.

"It is a great opportunity as we can make a difference," said a brand ambassador, Syed Salar Ali Khan while speaking to The Express Tribune. "If we can make our parents obey the traffic rules then automatically the future generations will follow suit."

We can help avoid accidents through these messages, said another brand ambassador, Abiha Adil. "I chose the prefects to become brand ambassadors so that they can spread the message in their own classes," said their teacher, Uzma Shakir.

After the photo session, five boys were given the green reflective jackets worn by the traffic police personnel. Since they were also prefects, they were supposed to act as traffic wardens inside the school premises.

"The youth is our target as it has the power to bring about change," said Abdul Karim. "We have focused on the age group of 15 to 22 years and, after a month, certificates signed by traffic DIG Dr Amir Shaikh will be given to these children."

Holding a placard that read 'Someone is trying to study' under a sign of a honker, Ashraf said that we don't mind honking in front of schools where children are studying. "And then we blame the traffic police for traffic problems. We can't blame them for everything. Not for honking at least."

The City School PAF Chapter was their first target. According to Ashraf, they will take the initiative to the next level by recruiting brand ambassadors from other schools.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2014.

In an earlier version of the story, Saad Ashraf was incorrectly called Saad Bashir.