Cops use humour to warn motorists

The Hyderabad traffic police is taking to humour to encourage motorists to stick to rules.

“Yamaraj will chase you if you break traffic rules,” goes one line put out by the traffic police.

There are also more direct ones like, “Do not ignore road accidents, save victims” and “Good drivers don’t honk unnecessarily.”

Instead of preachy campaigns, the traffic police has featured messages from film stars like Mahesh Babu, Kajol and Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas.

These messages have been posted on social media platforms, and draws the netizen’s attention.

Not all of them have been positive.

One Sandeep Reddy in a social media comment said, “Don’t know about Yamraj but traffic police will definitely chase to collect money (sic).”

Mr Hari Prasad posted, “Life is precious. Help the victims of accidents. It is better to help rather recording and posting on social media”.

With regard to the traffic police message against unnecessary sounding of the horn, A. Satish Kumar wrote: “When there is no zig-zag driving, no crossing of pedestrians wherever they want and the day when lane driving is followed there will be no honking as well (sic)”.

Speaking to this newspaper, additional commissioner of police (traffic) Anil Kumar said, “There used to be a lot of negativity about the traffic police earlier but now that scenario is changing now. People are accepting the change,”

He said people were now insisting on the traffic police, through social media, to take stringent action on violators. Newer campaigns now target four-wheeler drivers.