COIMBATORE: Commissioner of Police V Balakrishnan has selected two traffic constables to train the entire traffic police force on serving with a smile. One of them is head constable V Allidurai (41). Recently, when motorists gave police an earful because traffic on Avinashi road was diverted due to water stagnation under the flyover, Allidurai calmed them down over megaphone. He explained the situation and said, “Not everyone gets blessed by Nature nor does it rain at anybody’s wish. We are blessed by rain today.” Video of his message was circulated, and Allidurai became a social media hero overnight.
A native of Sankarankovil in Tirunelveli, he has been working in Coimbatore for the past 22 years and has delivered short and witty messages while on the beat. Allidurai moved to Traffic wing in Racecourse station a year ago. Despite regulating traffic on Avinshi road, which is one of the busiest in the city, Allidurai educates motorists on traffic rules and road etiquettes at the signal.
“Everyone has a mission during driving. If we interrupt them or divert them on a different path, they will get angry. As a policeman, I have to handle the situation responsibly. If I make them angry, it may cause accidents. If I speak to them politely, they may calm down. I feel I must act responsibly as my work is directly related to the lives of people,” he said.
He added, “Thousands of people cross me every day. During my eight hours of duty, if I can make an impression on 50 people, that is enough for me.” The second policeman is T Ravichandran (56), special sub inspector from Racecourse police station who regulates traffic at LIC signal on Avinashi road. “I have asked them to train other police personnel in the traffic wing. ,” said Balakrishnan.