BENGALURU
A few hours spent managing traffic at Bengaluru’s bustling junctions has been enough to give many residents a deeper appreciation of the challenges faced by traffic police personnel every day.
The Bengaluru Traffic Police’s (BTP) initiative, ‘Be a Traffic Cop for a Day’, launched in October 2025, has attracted significant public participation, with 1,864 volunteers signing up so far. The programme allows citizens to experience traffic management firsthand and understand the complexities of regulating traffic in one of India’s busiest cities.
Officials said the initiative was introduced to bridge the gap between citizens and traffic personnel while encouraging greater road discipline and cooperation. Most participants have been students and working professionals aged between 18 and 50 years.
After attending a two-hour orientation on safety procedures and operational challenges, volunteers were deployed at major junctions, including Haralur, Wilson Garden, Banashankari and Jayanagar. Many reported witnessing between 20 and 30 traffic violations during a single shift, ranging from riding without helmets and using mobile phones while driving to reckless honking and ignoring police instructions.
Anoop A. Shetty, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-West), said the response had been encouraging. “Many volunteers chose busy locations such as Chalukya Circle and City Grounds. It was heartening to see young people participate and gain a better understanding of the traffic system. Several also offered practical suggestions for improving traffic management,” he said.
For many participants, the experience proved eye-opening.
Syed Ghouse Peeran, a 40-year-old software professional, joined the programme to take a break from routine work and understand on-ground realities. He said manually regulating traffic was far more challenging than he had imagined.
“Vehicles approach from all directions, and if the person managing traffic gets distracted even briefly, congestion builds up almost instantly,” he said.
Similarly, 23-year-old doctor Surya Kiran volunteered at the Banashankari junction during evening peak hours. He observed that pedestrians often contributed significantly to traffic disruptions.
“Many people ignore signals and zebra crossings. Even when vehicles have a green signal, pedestrians continue crossing the road, creating confusion and increasing the risk of accidents,” he said.
Traffic police officials hope the initiative will foster greater empathy among road users and encourage stricter adherence to traffic rules, ultimately making Bengaluru’s roads safer and more orderly for everyone.