Over 700 traffic wardens to secure roads

Idea was tried out 25 years ago; is being relaunched to ease workload of overworked traffic cops

Mumbai Traffic Police (MTP) has brought back used and tested ways to ensure road safety, by re-launching around 750 to 800 traffic wardens. These wardens are common citizens and will work with the traffic department to ease the pressure on its meagre workforce of 3,000 constables for the entire city.

The post of a traffic warden was a prestigious one 25-years-ago and it required working with the city police to maintain law and order on the road. While re-launching the old tradition, joint commissioner of police (traffic) Milind Bharambe said that sharing the workload with the wardens would bring traffic constables on the street much-needed relief. “If incorporating the traffic warden scheme will mean that 50 of my officers will be free for other important works then it will be a much-needed reprieve from the point of view of distributing the workload,” said Mr Bharambe. He was speaking at the road safety week kicked off by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at South Mumbai on Tuesday.

MTP has also launched the much-awaited Alco-Metre which is a portable alcohol detecting device and it is expected to be placed outside restaurants, bars and malls for people to check their blood alcohol content before they head back home. This move will help in preventing people from drinking and driving.

“The booths will be placed outside bars, restaurants and malls where people can check if they are too drunk to drive and take a decision responsibly that could mean the difference between life and death,” said Mr Bharambe. He further added, “We will also provide taxi or cab numbers next to the booth. Also, we are in talks with the establishments that serve alcohol to take their valet services to a new level and park their customers’ cars in safe spots so that it can be collected in the morning.”

Mr Bharambe also said that 200 variable messaging system boards would be arriving in the city in the next few months. “These boards will give real time information about the traffic situation in areas surrounding important establishments like the Mantralaya and the airport. It will show an alternate route one can take to avoid traffic,” he said.