Trained young blood to support traffic mgmt on Lko roads

39 Sadak Suraksha Mitra - youth aged 15 to 30 years - to be deployed at city intersections for road safety enforcement and awareness

Don’t be surprised the next time you see a youngster beside a traffic constable, assisting him and spreading awareness among commuters.

Reflective safety vest, safety helmets and traffic batons were distributed to volunteers. (HT Photo)

Volunteers have been trained as ‘Sadak Suraksha Mitra’ in Lucknow under a government of India initiative, with officials saying the 39 young volunteers, in the age group of 15 to 30, will soon be deployed on city roads to assist traffic police and transport authorities. The step is aimed at strengthening road safety enforcement and awareness.

The training programme was held on March 23 at the fitness centre (INC Centre) in Transport Nagar under the ministry of road transport and highways’ road safety initiative. The volunteers, nominated through the ‘My Bharat’ portal by the youth welfare department, are being trained by the transport department to support road safety campaigns and traffic management.

Prabhat Pandey, regional transport officer, (enforcement), said the training module, initially planned for a week, has been condensed into a three-day programme. “Volunteers are being trained on road safety awareness, traffic rules and road signs. On the final day, they are taken to accident prone sites and busy roads for practical exposure, where they observe and assist officials on the ground,” he said.

Officials said the trained volunteers will work alongside traffic police and enforcement teams to spread awareness among commuters. Their primary role will include encouraging helmet use, ensuring compliance with seatbelt norms, and educating people about traffic rules and road signage.

“They will act as an extended arm of the department, helping in awareness drives and guiding people to follow basic safety norms,” Pandey said.

On remuneration, officials clarified that the volunteers are not being paid at present. “As of now, there is no provision for payment. However, the department is considering a proposal to provide monetary compensation in the future for those who remain actively involved,” Pandey said.

The volunteers will initially be deployed across key roads and traffic intersections in Lucknow. Officials said their presence will not only aid enforcement agencies in keeping a stricter watch on violators but also help build sustained public awareness around road safety.

“The idea is to create a visible support system on roads that complements enforcement efforts and encourages people to follow rules voluntarily,” Pandey added.

The programme was chaired by Pandey and attended by Radha Raman Singh, assistant commissioner of police, (traffic), Alok Kumar Yadav, assistant regional transport officer (enforcement) and other transport and traffic officials.