‘Traffic Baba’ among seven volunteers felicitated by police

The traffic volunteers were honoured saved lives by taking accident victims to hospitals and ensuring timely treatment

As many as seven volunteers, who have been manning traffic in Noida for years, were felicitated at the launch of Shakti and Garud squads by senior police officers including ADG (Law and Order) Uttar Pradesh Anand Kumar.

Traffic volunteer Mukul Chandra Joshi being felicitated by the police on Saturday. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

The volunteers serve diligently in their respective areas and ensure the routes are free from congestion. Few of them have also saved lives by taking mishap victims to hospitals and ensuring timely treatment.

All volunteers were given certificates by the senior police officers including ADG (Law and Order), IGP Meerut range Ram Kumar and SSP Gautam Budh Nagar Love Kumar.

Superintendent of police (city) Love Kumar said, “The services of the volunteers have become an example for others. These volunteers have stood up for hours and manned traffic only to avoid inconvenience. If every one of us makes our own little contribution, the city will be far better and peaceful to live in.”

Among the seven volunteers, was 81-year-old, Mukul Chandra Joshi, a retired wing commander from Indian Air Force. He has been manning traffic and raising road safety awareness for the last 14 years in Noida.

The octogenarian is popularly known as ‘Traffic Baba’. He can be seen at the intersections around Spice Mall in Noida and distribute pamphlets to commuters to obey traffic rules.

Every day, Joshi gives away around 250 pamphlets to people, which are printed at his own expense. Wearing a white gown with traffic advisories written on it and a cap to go along with it, Joshi is familiar to most commuters in Noida.

He is always armed with a loudspeaker and a microphone. Often, his loudspeaker would blare, “Aye Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo”in a bid to convey the road safety message through music.

“I started this campaign after a friend of my mine lost his son in a road accident. I got to know he was not wearing a helmet and I decided to devote my life to making people aware about road safety. People offered monetary help, but I refused as my pension is enough to get by,” said Joshi.

Read I Noida Traffic police creates enforcement wing to curb violations

Apart from Noida, Joshi also wages a similar campaign in Bengaluru whenever he visits his son. The people in Bengaluru have been also very supportive of him.

“I have taken permission from police in Bengaluru and whenever I am in city to meet my son, I conduct a road safety campaign.People listen and follow the rules. My motto is to save lives,” Joshi added.