When he took charge of Delhi’s roads, Special Commissioner of Delhi Traffic Police Ajay Kashyap’s agenda was to bring about road literacy and save lives. After five months in the driving seat, road fatalities are down by 35 per cent and the number of traffic-related deaths has dropped to 100 from 280 in the same period last year.
The increased efficiency of the city’s traffic force can be gauged from the fact that on an average, one violator is challaned every five seconds.
“The capital never sleeps, so can’t we. Our job is to make the roads safe. To achieve that, I have tried to put in all the experiences I gained during my UN stint,” says Kashyap. He spent almost four years in the UN’s Police Division in New York, supervising implementation of the Security Council’s mandates in all peace-keeping operations across the world.
In 58 days this year, Delhi Traffic Police have booked around eight lakh errant drivers. The 1985-batch IPS officer, who has received 15 medals and awards—including the UN Peace Medal and President Police Medal—is currently pursuing a PhD from IIT-Delhi and wants to contribute his expertise even after retirement in 2020. “Maintaining Delhi’s traffic is a tough job. Since it directly affects the daily lives of people, I have to stay on my toes. The onus is on us to ensure people reach their office and home on time,” he says with a disarming grin.
His staff’s health worries Kashyap the most, as they are exposed to the city’s high levels of pollution. He has asked officers to get out of their air-conditioned chambers and meet and motivate traffic cops on the streets.
“Being the senior-most person of my family (Delhi Traffic Police), I am responsible for my men. I keep interacting with them since they are the ones who implement my orders on the ground. I have told all DCPs to meet and praise them,” says Kashyap, who does yoga and a 40-minute workout every day.
“I feel, being a Delhiite, everyone here should perform their duty before raising their voice seeking rights. Delhi has different flavours, which is its USP. We understand our duties—to make the city clean and less polluted,” he says.
Ajay Kashyap, 57 Special Commissioner, Delhi Traffic Police