HYDERABAD: Stuck in traffic and haunted by the tragic loss of a close friend to reckless driving, Murali Krishna made a life-altering decision — he refused to be a bystander. Leaving behind his corporate routine, he trained with the Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC) and became a traffic volunteer.
For the last 10 years, he has stood at some of Hyderabad’s busiest junctions, not just easing congestion but advocating passionately for road safety, a cause he believes could have saved his friend’s life.
Determined to prevent more such tragedies, Murali, a resident of Bolarum, now volunteers across all three commissionerates — Cyberabad, Hyderabad and Rachakonda. “My friend’s death shook me. It made me realise how little people understand the consequences of breaking traffic rules. That’s when I decided to act; not just sit in traffic, but help fix it,” he tells TNIE.
After undergoing formal training with SCSC, Murali began volunteering at key intersections, including Secunderabad Junction, Bolarum, Alwal, Sainikpuri, RK Puram, ECIL, Kompally and Paradise. Alongside ground-level efforts, he also uses social media to promote traffic awareness, sharing real-time experiences and road safety tips.
“Even now, many people are unaware of basic road safety. Disobedience is rampant: wrong-side driving, triple riding and no helmets. I’ve seen it all. That’s why I also conduct awareness sessions in educational institutions,” he says.
Murali believes traffic management requires a four-fold approach: education, enforcement, engineering and emergency response.
Reflecting on his journey, he adds, “Over the years, we’ve done several awareness activities — encouraging helmet use, seatbelt discipline, no honking drives. Out of 100 people, we engage with at junctions, at least 90 respond positively. That’s progress. Traffic management is about continuous improvement.”
Murali continues to dedicate his weekends and free time to this mission. And with every whistle blown and every safety tip shared, he honours the memory of a lost friend — and saves others from meeting the same fate.