HYDERABAD: Imagine you’re stuck in traffic on a busy Hyderabad road, when suddenly a traffic cop rides in on a sleek bike with its loudspeaker clearing the chaos ahead. This could soon be a familiar sight. On Thursday, the Hyderabad City Police rolled out 50 specially equipped patrolling bikes, along with 125 Traffic Marshals and three advanced cranes, in a major push to ease the city’s ever-growing traffic snarls.
Unveiling the new measures, Police Commissioner CV Anand stated that “each patrol bike is loaded with tools such as a PA system with a collar microphone, UHF handheld set, LED baton, dashboard camera, GPS tracker, first-aid kit, wheel clamp carrier, traffic equipment box, tablet device, and body-worn camera—all designed to support real-time traffic management and emergency response.”
Explaining the role of patrolling vehicles, Joint Commissioner (Traffic) D Joel Davis said the mobile patrol teams will step in to manage breakdowns, accidents, illegal parking, and congestion between junctions. On traffic marshals, he stated that, “They are attached to local police stations, working eight-hour shifts with a monthly salary of `20,000, funded largely by hospitals and schools. While they cannot stop vehicles, they will regulate traffic, record violations, and assist pedestrians.”
CV Anand pointed out that while Hyderabad has 650 junctions, police can staff only about 350 due to manpower constraints. He said the shortage is most severe in lanes, bylanes, and areas around major hospitals and educational institutions, where extra personnel are required to manage congestion. To address this, hospitals have been asked to sponsor Traffic Marshals, who are trained and deployed at busy junctions.