Saviours in fog: Those who help citizens drive safely in winter

During the foggy season, the RSOs usually identify areas with maximum NMT (Non-Motorised Transport) vehicles such as cycles, and deploy teams to guide them safely.

Poor visibility is a major concern in Delhi-NCR in winter. But to tackle it, teams of Police along with Road Safety Officers (RSOs) spring into action with various campaigns to prevent accidents. Spotted at various junctions in Delhi-NCR, these personnel can be seen pasting reflective tape on vehicles and barricades, to help drivers see better amid fog.

Road Safety Officers (RSOs) carry out special safety campaigns across Delhi-NCR during foggy season.

“Our duty starts at 7am. It’s still foggy when we set out,” says Ajay Tomar, DCP (Traffic), New Delhi, and adds, “It’s a challenge in itself. We have to navigate VIP movement, man important events such as Republic Day, all amid the dense fog. Humari team light bar and reflective jackets ke saath hoti hai, taki unhe koi takkar na maar de. But visibility poor hone par accidents bhi hue hain.”

During the foggy season, the RSOs usually identify areas with maximum NMT (Non-Motorised Transport) vehicles such as cycles, and deploy teams to guide them safely. Raj Kumar, an RSO with Gurugram Police, says, “We also cover tractors and commercial vehicles, so that these are visible during the fog, especially at night. When we find safety hazards on the roads like misaligned barriers, broken curb stones, etc., we cover such spots and use reflective tapes to make them visible to drivers.”  

RSO Ashish Pahuja, based in the Millennium City, says, “This year, under our special campaign called Reflective Gurugram, we combed the city and corrected hazard points to increase safety during foggy season. Fast Fog Action Support Team (F-FAST) was constituted to take actions to clear smaller obstructions along with helpers and basic tools, which they carried with them.”

But these campaigns are not free of challenges, as Kumar shares, “People question our actions. Sometimes they get aggressive, which delays our work. They need to understand that we stop them for their safety.”

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