These youngsters try to cut chaos on Indore roads

INDORE: They do not hang out at malls or unwind at home during their leisure time. Rather, this bunch of youths go to most congested roads of the city to bring some order to chaotic traffic. Donning bright yellow T-shirts and guiding commuters with messages like ‘do not honk or do not jump red light’ these Samaritans from ‘Kunwar’ group man major crossing like Regal, Vijay Nagar, LIG and Rasoma on weekends.
Member of the group and an owner of software company, Jitendra Singh Baghel said, “My friends and I would talk about traffic problem every time we went to our office. We had to face chaotic traffic all the time. Therefore we decided to step out on weekends for at least three hours and help traffic department to manage the traffic.” He said till now they managed to rope in around 390 volunteers and a group of 12-13 volunteers manages one particular crossing every weekend.
“We immediately took permission from traffic department and started assisting traffic cops from beginning of this month,” Baghel said. Kunwar group includes volunteers from all walks of life and they give training to youngsters to manage traffic, he said. “Not only we man traffic, but we also educate motorists on importance of obeying traffic rules and repercussion for violating traffic norms,” said Vikrant Singh Baghel, a volunteer of group.
The initiative came after seeing traffic problem at major junctions. Volunteers also observed road users were unwilling to give way to ambulance “as they were in a great rush.” “The idea is to tell people they are not the only ones on road. Every commuter must realize that breaking a traffic rule could harm a fellow user,” said Chandrabhan Singh Rathore, a lawyer and member of the group.
“There is a discrepancy in road engineering design, especially BRTS portion which makes AB Road congested,” said Ajay Pratap Singh Chouhan, vice-president with a multinational companytion.”