Faulty Signals Force Manual Traffic Duty, Posing Health Risks to Karnataka Police

Traffic police personnel posted at junctions in Bengaluru and Mysuru are being exposed to serious health hazards because they are required to regulate traffic manually for extended periods owing to malfunctioning signal systems, a member of the Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority has said.

In a letter to the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police, authority member Mohan Kumar Danappa said personnel were being made to manage traffic by hand for close to eight hours a day at junctions where signal systems had remained defective for several months because of inadequate Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) arrangements.

The letter noted that the personnel were exposed for long hours to heat, rain, dust and vehicular emissions while on duty from morning to evening. This prolonged exposure and the nature of their working conditions were reportedly leading to health problems such as eye irritation, sleep disturbances and physical and mental stress.

Mr. Danappa also pointed out that the personnel found it difficult to leave their assigned junctions to use toilets, and that adequate drinking water and rest facilities were reportedly not available to them.

He expressed concern that rather than ensuring timely renewal of the AMCs and technically rectifying the signal systems, the burden was being shifted to traffic police personnel through prolonged manual regulation.

Mr. Danappa urged the State police chief to immediately ensure the renewal and proper maintenance of traffic signal systems in Bengaluru and Mysuru, and to reduce the workload and health risks faced by traffic personnel. He also sought measures to ensure that traffic signals across the State function automatically and properly through effective maintenance mechanisms, and asked that the action taken be communicated to the police complaints authority.