Traffic cops shed khaki, dress up in blue & white
LUCKNOW: The traffic cops on Monday shed their traditional khaki attire to don a new look with a smarter uniform. They sported a white shirt over blue trousers with a blue beret.
The change was effected to make the dress of traffic cops same for all non gazetted ranks, from constables to inspector. “The uniform of traffic constables and inspectors was different. This will change now. Now all personnel right from traffic constable to inspector will sport the same dress,” said inspector general (IG) of traffic Deepak Ratan.
In winter, the traffic personnel will wear a blue sweater over white shirt.
Earlier, while the traffic constables wore a khaki beret paired with white shirt and blue trousers, the traffic sub inspectors and inspectors wore white shirt with khaki trousers.
Police personnel who were attached with the traffic department continued to wear the traditional uniform of police-khaki shirt paired with trousers and beret of the same colour.
The change in uniform comes into effect after seven years.
In 2012, when the Samajwadi
Party government came to power, it changed the colour of traffic cops’ trousers from blue to khaki.
The change in traffic cops’ uniform has been made for the third time in the past 12 years. The traffic police had an allwhite uniform before the BSP government was formed in 2007. The uniform was changed from white to blue trousers in April 2008. This led to a controversy, as the changed uniform resembled the uniform of the BSP’s wing Bahujan Volunteer Force.
The traffic personnel welcomed the move, saying that the new dress would make them stand apart from the civil police, making it easier for the public to identify them.
THE CHANGE IN TRAFFIC COPS’ UNIFORM HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST 12 YEARS