2,500 cops may man city roads to regulate traffic

HYDERABAD: In an effort to bring order on city roads and decongest traffic, the state govt is looking at deploying more police personnel. As per the proposal under consideration, 2,500 traffic police personnel may soon be provided exclusively for regulating traffic in the three commissionerates of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda.

The aim of this deployment is also to improve visibility of traffic personnel on the roads in Hyderabad.

It was during a review of traffic situation in the city a few days ago that chief minister A Revanth Reddy directed the police department to come up with an action plan to address traffic issues in the city. Accordingly, proposals were sent to the govt asking for additional manpower in the traffic wing — about 1,000 personnel for Hyderabad commissionerate and nearly 1,500 for both Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerates.

The idea is that these extra police personnel will be deployed on roads all through the day to immediately attend all traffic-related issues such jams, free left blocks, vehicle breakdowns etc.

This will be in addition to the personnel deployed at junctions. But based on requirement these personnel will also be deployed at important junctions across the city to ensure free flow of traffic.

As part of better management, the traffic wing has already started cracking down on wrong side driving as well as strictly implementing non-entry of travel buses between 8am to 10pm on city roads.

“If these things are strictly implemented, a major part of traffic issues will be solved and movement will become smooth,” said an official associated with the process.

To ensure that a comprehensive plan is formulated, traffic officials from the tri-commissionerates are also holding discussions and presenting their requirements as per local needs. The police department is also learnt to have been making specific plans to address issues faced on roads during the monsoon season.