Techies aid traffic flow in IT corridor, educate peers

Hyderabad: Techie traffic volunteers contributed 601 hours in November to regulate traffic in the IT corridor along with the traffic police. On an average, every month, people working in the IT industry are spending 500 hours regulating traffic. 

The impact of this voluntary effort has been to accelerate the movement of traffic, impart traffic education to commuters when halted at a red signal, check helmet use and urge pedestrians to use zebra crossings. 

The Society of Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC) facilitates this effort by techies. Krishna Yedula, head of the traffic forum of SCSC, said more volunteers are expected.

“We expect around 400 volunteer hours in December and January as it is holiday season due to Christmas-New Year and Sankranti. This initiative has been helping regulate the traffic and we have 200 volunteers who regularly participate,” he said.

The volunteers are from Microsoft, Capgemini, Wells Fargo, TCS, Infosys, Polycom, Amazon, and Netcracker and also some entrepreneurs and students. About 35 hours was contributed by a volunteer, Manikanta Uriti, in November, who was deputed at the Gachibowli Flyover ORR junction. Anil Pachipulusu  contributed 25 hours at the Financial District Cyient Junction and Naresh Vedam spent 21 hours in traffic regulation at Miyapur crossroads.

A traffic official said that the volunteers are helping in two ways. They give assistance to traffic police to regulate traffic and pedestrian movement seamlessly. Secondly, they help in educating IT employees on the ground, especially those violating the rules or blocking a free left turn. Violators are more likely to take direction from their peers. 

Vijay Kumar, DCP Cyberabad Traffic, said, “The traffic volunteers realise that traffic police don't have a magic wand and that hard work is involved. Traffic regulation involves infrastructure and road development issues. There are various stakeholders like the GHMC, HMWS&SB, electricity department, who play equivalent roles. The shell that ‘the onus is on the traffic police’ alone, is broken when they take up the responsibility themselves.”

Volunteers are given one day preliminary training on how to handle traffic, how to stand and behave, orientation, signalling and rules. They are also taught basic life support skills at AIG hospital. These day-long trainings happen on every Saturday and Sunday.

Mr Kumar added that more such volunteers are required not only in the IT corridor but also in residential areas. People from the area should volunteer to facilitate safe and quick movement of traffic. “A lot of volunteers doesn’t mean that traffic will become naturally smooth, but at least there will be a realisation of the mistakes and they can provide immediate assistance if required,” he said.