Police’s public address systems deliver loud & clear messages on road safety

ed:saju

Tirupur: Many of us feel embarrassed when our mistakes are pointed out in a crowd. Feeling ashamed, some might even correct the shortcomings. No one knows the corrective power of public embarrassment better than the Tirupur city traffic police, which is using portable public address systems (PAS) to create awareness about road safety.

Loud announcements like 'Helmet is a Life Saver' made by traffic police personnel at major city junctions are grabbing the attention of road users. "We are creating awareness on the use of helmet, seatbelt and road safety rules. Only 50% of two-wheeler riders are wearing helmets. Many carry a helmet, but do not wear it. We point out such people from the crowd and advise them to follow the rule for their own safety," said a policeman, who regulates traffic at Puspha Theatre.

"Most of the motorists, who ride along with families, are not wearing helmet. When we ask them to wear helmet using a PAS, their family members and other motorists would notice it. The system helps us reach many people at a time," said a woman police constable on Avinashi Road.

The city police have bought 33 PAS units at a cost of Rs 4.92 lakh. As a unit weighs only around 5kg, police personnel can easily carry them.

Apart from the traffic wing, inspectors and assistant commissioners can also use them in crowded areas. "Apart from imposing a fine of Rs 100, we have been taking many steps to make people wear helmets, including distributing notices and reaching out to various communities directly. This year alone, we collected fines from 1 lakh people, who were not using helmets. However, such measures do not work long-term. That's why we decided to use PAS," Tirupur city police commissioner P Nagarajan told TOI.

"We hope that if we address 100 people using a PAS, at least 20 of them may start following the road safety rules," he added.