Cops dressed as Santa urge commuters to drive safely

Gurugram: If one is caught by a Gurugram traffic cop, chances are that in the course of his/her interaction, one may complain of the policeman being rude and uncouth.

Realising that authorities have received more complainants than satisfactory responses, Gurugram policemen on Monday used the festive occasion of Christmas to develop a friendly bond with the city's commuters.

Many traffic cops, along with the regional security officers (RSO), donned the drapes of Santa Claus to make commuters aware of the dangers of drunken and rash driving.

Gurugram policemen, along with the RSOs, dressed up as Santa Claus and gave messages on road safety, distributed gifts and made commuters take a pledge to not indulge in drunken and rash driving.

The locations that were covered included MG road, Cyber City, HUDA City Centre, IFFCO Chowk, Signature Tower, Kataria Chowk, Aggarwal Chowk and Sethi Chowk.

This is not the first time such an initiative has been undertaken by Gurugram police. During Dusshera this year, law enforcement officials dressed up as mythological characters. like Yamraj and Raavan, to make commuters aware of the significance of following traffic rules.

"One flip side of our profession is that sometimes our interaction with the commuters results in more complaints. However, through these initiatives, we want to show our friendly side and be a guide to thousands of commuters," said Deepak Gahlawat, DCP (Traffic).

"It is good that these programmes are being conducted. However, the standard operating procedures of cops need reformation and more than holding such programmes," said Amardeep Singh, a resident.

The perils on Gurugram's roads can be gauged from the fact that over eight deaths that are reported daily there. Faulty road designs, poor signage systems and poor management of traffic in major roads of Gurugram are making them accident prone, claim experts.