Mangalore: The Mangaluru traffic police, on Wednesday, caught many motorists unaware with their checks at prime traffic junctions here to ensure safe drive to school. The checking was carried out in light of accident at Trasi in Kundapur taluk on Tuesday, in which eight students died.

Teams of traffic police were posted at the Navabharat Circle, St. Agnes College Circle and in Surathakal to check the school vans, cars and two-wheelers in which children were being taken to school. The exercise was coordinated by Assistant Commissioner of Police Uday Nayak, who stationed himself at Navabharat Circle at 8 a.m.

The Navarbharat Circle is an imporatant junction in the city and close to six primary and secondary schools. School vans of other schools also pass through this prime traffic junction.

The police were checking of the school vans were following the norms, such as carrying only permitted number of students, presence of a lady helper in the vehicle, and ensuring that children are not transported to schools in either private vehicles or autorickshaws. The police also insisted that the pillions on two-wheelers wear helmets.

At the Navabharat Circle, several motorists were booked for violating traffic norms. There were a good number of commercial vans and private vans carrying more than 10 children. Several school vans were found carrying students more than the permitted number. Many schools vans did not have the mandatory woman helper. There were a number of two-wheeler riders who taking children, who were not wearing helmets, to school. The police actually found it hard to stop the violators and book cases against them.

Similar was the scene at the St. Agnes College Circle. To avoid being booked by police, van drivers were seen dropping children 100 meters before the circle and making students walk down to their schools.