BENGALURU: While people have been advised to stay indoors, Anjayneya S, a sub-inspector with Bengaluru Traffic Police steps out for his daily routine, only to ensure people stay safe and indoors during the lockdown. Anjayneya says traffic cops in the city are working in three shifts and each of them is required to be on duty for two of those. While the first shift starts at 7 am, the other two commence at 2 pm and 9 pm respectively with the night shift being a 10-hour duty till 7 am. “We are deputed accordingly, the first two shifts have 30 personnel each but when it comes to the late night shifts, we have only 7-10 people,” he adds.
Reflecting on the challenges that he faces, Anjayneya emphasises that people are still not aware of the seriousness of Covid- 19, although having repeatedly been advised by national and state government bodies. “Many vehicles are still on the road. They cite excuses which are rather silly, and when we look into them, we sometimes see old prescriptions which are invalid. We have communicated these points but people don’t listen,” he says, adding that it is important for people to understand the situation at hand and stay home instead of loitering around.
“Services, including emergency ones, have been provided by the government, so people should utilise that,” he says. While Anjayneya is one among the many who are serving every day to assist the fight against the pandemic, he cheerfully says he loves his job. “In my years of service, this is the first situation where I have seen a city like Bengaluru come to a halt. I am a history student and I relate the current times to the Hampi chapter in the Battle of Talikota. I enjoy doing my job and more importantly, create awareness among public, but I want to advise everyone that stepping out can take a back seat for now,” says Anjayneya.