BENGALURU: Some good news is on the way for traffic police personnel, who are among the worst affected due to the heat and polluted air in the city on a daily basis. The city’s civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), is now taking steps to implement the installation of 389 police kiosks or traffic umbrellas at various locations across town. 

According to the initiative, the existing kiosks will be replaced with new ones, and the set-ups will include facilities such as air purifiers, fans, charging points, speakers, CCTV cameras, etc. Although the idea of bringing in new kiosks was conceived last year, tenders were called earlier this year and the agency received government approval in March. Work was, however, delayed due to elections, a BBMP official said. It is now expected to start within a month. 

The initiative has been taken under PPP model, and a demo of the kiosk is present at IPP centre in Malleswaram. The new kiosk was recently inspected by BBMP chief N Manjunath Prasad as well as Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, P Harishekaran. “I had suggested some modifications, such as installation of electronic switch holder, water bottle holder, reflectors, walkie talkie holder, etc,” Harishekaran told CE. 

BBMP has also provided advertising rights for the new kiosks. “The demo is 8-ft in diameter. We will analyse the space allocations, and the size will vary accordingly,” Praveen Lingaiah, executive engineer, Traffic Engineering Cell, BBMP, said.

Traffic police personnel say new kiosks are needed urgently. “Whenever I want to take a break, I inform the control room and take a five-minute break. Most of the police kiosks are ill-maintained and there is no use standing inside them,” Pratap, a traffic police inspector at Balekundri Circle, said. Agreed another traffic cop at Hebbal, who added that skipping a day of work due to the heat isn’t an option, and they have to take adequate precautions and measures to stay hydrated.