Odisha launches star rating system for school road safety to reduce accidents

Bhubaneswar: With the aim to ensure compliance with road safety norms and reduce accidents near school and college zones, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday unveiled a star-rating system for educational institutes.A comprehensive standard operating procedure (SOP) for school zone safety has been prepared, detailing requirements and evaluation criteria. Institutes earning between 2 and 5 stars will be formally recognised and felicitated each year.During 2024, at least 815 road accidents occurred near educational institutes, resulting in 272 deaths and injuring 635 school and college students.Introduction of a star-rating system for schools and colleges, based on adherence to road safety parameters, is intended to institutionalise compliance, enhance accountability, and improve safety outcomes in institutional zones.“Road safety is a priority area of the govt and closely linked to good governance. Those districts and educational institutions who adopt best road safety measures will be honoured,” CM Majhi said.As per the SOP, the govt will develop a traffic engineering and management system, create traffic-related infrastructure, adopt traffic-calming measures, and earmark footpath zones, cycle tracks and multi-utility zones.

On a trial basis, traffic infrastructure and signage were installed at Bhabagrahi model school and Capital High School in the city. Officials said effective implementation will require sustained institutional ownership and behavioural change, with schools serving as focal points for road safety initiatives involving students, parents, enforcement agencies and the community. Among other measures, schools will designate trained students as road safety ambassadors to promote safe behaviour, assist during peak hours and support awareness activities.“A Google Forms-based assessment tool will be used by field officials to record compliance, upload geo-tagged photographs, and ensure uniform data capture across districts. The State Transport Authority will notify institutes about the rating process and allow two months to implement prescribed measures,” a senior official said.After that, joint inspections will be conducted by the district education officers and motor vehicle inspectors with scores assigned based through on-ground verification and photographic documentation.

Institutes will be assessed on a structured set of parameters covering infrastructure, traffic management, transport compliance, institutional mechanisms, and awareness initiatives, using a 20-point scoring matrix supported by photographic evidence.

Institutes scoring 0-5 points will receive no rating. Those scoring 6-10 points will receive a ‘2-star’ rating for basic safety measures. Scores of 11-14 will earn ‘3 stars’, 15-17 will earn ‘4 stars’, and 18-20 will be rated ‘5 stars’.Institutes getting 3, 4, and 5 stars will be categorised as bronze, silver and gold, respectively. All gold-category institutes in a district will receive an “excellence in road safety” certificate from the district collector annually.