No more 12-hour traffic duty

Updated on: 17 May,2010 09:50 AM IST |
Vivek Sabnis |

From June, cops to do 8 hours on roads

From June, cops to do 8 hours on roads

Though the city is short of traffic policemen, DCP Manoj Patil announced the reduction in work hours will be implemented from June. The decision was taken by Police Commissioner Dr Satyapal Singh about 10 days ago.

For two decades now, 12 hours on the road has been virtually the norm for traffic policemen.

A traffic policeman at the busy Juna Bazar chowk.

The reason for such a schedule, which left traffic policemen physically and mentally drained, resulting in health problems, stress and a low quality of life, was that recruitment never kept pace with requirement in a city with ever-increasing vehicles.

From next month, they will be on duty 10 hours, getting two hours off after the first four hours.

"We are doing this exercise as we have got 200 new recruits out of 250 we asked for," said Patil. "This has taken the total numbers to 850. By this month-end, we are getting 50 more."

He added that 12 hours at a stretch affected performance and the two hours of rest will ultimately increase efficiency.

"Many traffic policemen are developing hypertension, blood pressure and also getting serious leg problems like varicose veins," said Patil. "Noise and air pollution also affects them."

Stressed Police

IN a sample study in 2005 at the Armed Forces Medical College on 131 traffic police personnel showed 39 had symptoms of sensory neural hearing loss, 38 had predominant high frequency hearing loss. Some showed initial symptoms of tubotympanic ear disease. Most also had eye irritation problems while working in the heat, dust and fumes.

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