Helping to ease City's congested roads

And like Prabhu, there were at least 35 others, including teachers, bankers, serving and retired government servants, who pledged to do their bit in easing the congestion on the City's jam-packed roads.

Dressed in light blue shirts and dark blue trousers and adorning the characteristic berets, these men marched and saluted in a typical display of their professional training. Holding a lit candle along with their badges, these traffic wardens took oath amid ovation by the audience on Friday.

The City’s 410 Traffic Wardens work for one-and-a-half to three hours during peak traffic twice a week manning traffic junctions in important thoroughfares of Indiranagar, Old Madras Road, Basavanagudi, Jayanagar, Rajajinagar, Vijayanagar, Malleswaram and R T Nagar among other places.

Though they don't have prosecution powers, these volunteers act as a bridge between the people and regular policemen. Set up in 1985 by the current DG and IGP and the then DCP (Traffic) Ajai Kumar Singh in order to involve citizens in controlling City's growing traffic, TWO has come a long way to become an indispensable in traffic management.

Anyone can volunteer and there will be absolutely no remuneration for the cause, M T Nayak, Chief Traffic Warden and former DCP (Traffic) told Deccan Herald. Commissioner of Police Shankar M Bidari hopes to induct 2,500 citizens by November this year when TWO will celebrate its silver jubilee. Impressed with their workmanship, the State government provided a grant of Rs 3 lakh to TWO.