Amidst the cityβs traffic woes, Bengalureans show interest in voluntary traffic management.
Story so far: Bengaluruβs residents show an increasing interest in traffic management by volunteering for the role of traffic wardens. College students, techies, and previous police service aspirants laud the Traffic Warden Association as an excellent opportunity for citizens to serve their community.
- For Nalloor Narayan, being a police officer was an unfulfilled childhood dream. The warden initiative provided her with the opportunity to don the police uniform and assume the duties of serving the common good that it involved.
- Govind Rajan KS, a long-term member of the organisation, calls the association a great example of public-private ownership. He derives joy from helping others. Harshitha S, an MBA student, aims to innovate traffic management.
Social barriers: Sindu Nagraj, a techie who followed her parentsβ footsteps into traffic management, admits that being a woman traffic warden may not be everybodyβs cup of tea. While she enjoys working hard towards peopleβs safety, she also has to deal with the general publicβs disrespect for women officers. This involves tolerating menβs stares while one does their job.
- Harshitha, too, acknowledges the profession as male-dominated. She believes her voluntary participation in traffic management could encourage more women to become traffic officers.