ON WEDNESDAY morning, motorists at the Palasia crossing were in for a surprise. The road was full of traffic policemen welcoming them by handing over roses in Gandhigiri style.
As part of the Road Safety Week, the traffic regulators instead of waving the usual lathi and chalan book, presented flowers to traffic violators and pleaded with them to not repeat the offence.
While skeptics might call it a stunt unsuited to the image of a law enforcement agency, the change in tactics surely stunned the traffic violators. Expecting a chalan from the approaching cop, the gift of a flower puzzled the violators.
Many were profusely apologetic about their fault and promised not to repeat it in future. At around 10.30 am, the traffic cops along with the senior officers, including Additional SP Manoj Shrivastava, traffic DSPs Devendra Patidar and Vijay David, CSP Manoj Ray, traffic TI Hemendra Gaur descended at the Palasia crossing.
Armed with nothing more than flowers and folded hands they politely informed those breaking the red light or the zebra crossing line not to do so.
With so many cops around there were not many blatant traffic violations. They informed the violators about basic traffic rules and the need to follow them to prevent accidents. The cops also requested them to educate their family members about the traffic rules.
The cops also turned on their charm to the shopkeepers at the Palasia crossing. They requested them not to keep their wares on the road as it obstructs the traffic. All the shopkeepers promptly folded up the wares spread on the road.
Now it remains to be seen for how long the ‘flowery’ image of traffic police continue and when the iron hands come out of the velvet gloves.
The cops also turned on their charm to the shopkeepers at the Palasia crossing. They requested them not to keep their wares on the road as it obstructs the traffic. All the shopkeepers promptly folded up the wares spread on the road.
Now it remains to be seen for how long the ‘flowery’ image of traffic police continue and when the iron hands come out of the velvet gloves.