City traffic at the crossroads

Under the then traffic police chief PS Pasricha’s command the traffic cops lived up to the standards expected of them while performing their thankless job

Addressing a meeting of head constables of his force years ago, the then traffic police chief Dr PS Pasricha described the men in white and khaki as the drawing room of the state administration. He considered the traffic policemen the most visible face of the law enforcement agencies. Under his command, the traffic cops lived up to the standards expected of them while performing their thankless job. Pasricha always made it a point to pick up the best from among the city police constabulary and induct them into the force.

There were times when the ‘perfectionist’ Doctor would interview all the aspirants himself. He went for good-looking, well-mannered, smart and sprite men for his force. Paan chewing and pot bellied cops were strictly kept out. Etiquette and conversational skills were imparted to the cops during refresher courses, which were personally supervised by Pasricha.

He believed in personal touch and had the niche of establishing one-to-one relationship with men from all ranks. In order to provide more opportunities to the head constables to showcase their working skills, the boss delegated powers of the officers to them so that the officers could pitch in with valuable contribution for implementing the traffic system and plans.

He made it a point to meet all the head constables at least once every month, where apart from discussing administrative matters the boss would enquire about their personal and family’s well-being. He even appointed one head constable from every division to collect information about difficulties faced by his colleagues and always endeavoured to help them out.

Every traffic police old hand remembers a heart rendering incident, wherein a constable developed some sudden health complications and had to be admitted to the emergency ward of the KEM Hospital. Late in the night his situation worsened and requested the doctors attending on him to let him talk to his boss for one last time. It was 3.30 in the night when the hesitant doctors dialled Pasricha’s residence number. “Sir, I am on my last breath. I did not have the courage to tell my family members about my condition. Please look after my family,” he requested his boss. The incident portrays the faith and confidence that existed in the force in those days.

The motto for the traffic police was summarised in three Es — Education, Enforcement and Engineering. Every cop was taught the basics of traffic management, enforcement of the existing laws and encouraged to come up with ideas to make the system more efficient. No wonder that Pasricha spent more than decade with the traffic police in various capacities.

But over the years the traffic control branch became a dumping ground for officers and men, who for some reasons were not wanted in other departments. Unlimited duty hours, rising pollution levels, inadequate working conditions, absence of basic facilities like rest or wash rooms further forced the well-meaning men to leave the force and go elsewhere.

Allegations of corruption at various levels and visible conduct of some men accepting money from truck or taxi drivers further dented the image of the force. Every vehicle owner has a tale or two to tell about his experience of bribing off the traffic cop, rather than paying the official fine or penalty.

Enforcement took a beating when the traffic cops developed the habit of deserting their posts at the road junctions and started hiding behind nearby trees to catch the traffic violators. Away from the public eyes, the cops bargain with the offenders. Hotel and restaurant owners doing business at busy roads pay regular bribes to park cars at no parking zones. The motorists no longer fear the law, as they know that the cops are pliable. Comparative statistics too point out that though the number of vehicles is rising every day, the number of cases of rule book violations has declined.