Date:13/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/13/stories/2007031317000400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Traffic policemen, an unenviable lot

Swahilya

A traffic policeman on duty at the Nandanam signal.

CHENNAI : Standing amid the heavy traffic in the blazing sun even for 10 minutes can be rattling for anyone.

But for a traffic policeman, to stay put there for eight hours, amid rancid fuel fumes and monitoring vehicle movement on all sides at a major traffic intersection, takes great effort.

That is what people like head constable M. Govindaraji do every day. He stands near the DMS office signal on Anna Salai during rush hours.

Today, he also has to constantly ask motorists and drivers to follow the four-lane system between Canara Bank and the Muthuramalinga Thevar statue signal on Anna Salai.

"Not a day passes without some erring driver shouting back at us for asking them to follow rules," he says.

He also faces the problem of constantly breathing heavily polluted air. Though pads are distributed to police personnel who suffer from varicose veins owing to long hours of standing, they are unable to wear them for long as they feel the pads affect the blood circulation.

"Of the 120 seconds I get for making announcements, the vehicle pile-up happens only from 30 to 90 seconds, by which time I should address the road-users on the extension of the four-lane system, and on observing discipline and dedicated lanes,'' he notes.

For P. Krishnamoorthy standing at the Nandanam traffic intersection, the difficulties of a traffic constable do not bother as much as the problem of people jumping signals.

"We stand here in the hot sun to save your lives," he says.

Whether it is moving from one section to another, ensuring a free movement of VIP vehicles, spotting traffic offenders and handing them over to the traffic officials on duty, helping the traffic make way for an ambulance or helping the old, infirm and disabled persons cross the road, he has his hands full. And he has been doing this for nearly three decades.

Mr. Krishnamoorthy is happy if road-users just follow the lane discipline, maintain a five-foot gap between vehicles, do not cut lanes, and stop at the red signal and if pedestrians use only the zebra crossing for going to the other side.