KARACHI - Transport and Communication Department (TCD) has started the road safety education programme for teachers and students in collaboration with the administration of pilot and model project schools of CDGK, The Nation learnt on Saturday. The most interesting segment of the programme is the demonstration of "Parrot Mascot" during the programme, the EDO TCD, Iftikhar Kaimkhani, told the Nation. The Parrot mascot will also visit schools and give tips and information about road safety education in an interesting manner. This idea is being focused due to expression of keen interest by the school children in the parrot mascot, said TCD road safety education officials. However, the TCD videos related to the road safety education programme have yet to be released, but Kaimkhani confirmed that soon these videos would also be launched in a splendid manner to provide thorough awareness of road safety, he said. He said that directives had been issued to organise these programmes in all CDGK schools and leaflets, brochures and other materials, which were ignored in the past, were now be distributed among the teachers and students to increase awareness about the road safety. It may be noted that number of fatal road accidents were reported during February 2009 in various parts of the City in which school going children, girls and women were killed and dozens severely injured. The Committee for Monitoring and Improvement of Schools (CMIS) which is running the Pilot Project and Model School scheme of CDGK runs Schools welcomed the proposal and assured the TCD officials to provide full cooperation in organising the road safety education programmes in the developed schools. Whereas, around 9 campuses have been developed so far under the pilot project in which scores of students are getting education. The chairperson of CMIS Farhana Iqbal said that organising the road safety education programme in pilot project schools would provide an easy access to the TCD officials to spread their message of road safety to the maximum number of children, enrolled in the developed schools. She also offered that CMIS has also developed auditoriums in the developed schools which is the best place for telecasting the TCD videos on big screen where facility of sitting arrangement for maximum students is also available. The DO TCD Amir Hussain said the road safety education officers would start visiting the CDGK schools and would deliver lectures on safety techniques to teachers and students of schools as all preparations had been completed in this regard. "New procedure has been adopted keeping in view that in the presence of students practical demonstration would be more effective." In past, due to negligence of the TCD, hundreds of leaflets and brochures were dumped in the store rooms of the department. According to details of fatal road accidents in Karachi, a large number of people lost their lives. Since 1990, 53 per cent pedestrians were killed in the road accidents out of them 25 per cent were school going children. While more than 1,500 persons were injured annually.