GHAZIABAD: The shortstaffed traffic police department in Ghaziabad has sought the assistance of residents' welfare associations (RWAs) in managing traffic. A proposal to raise traffic volunteers was raised in a meeting held on Tuesday between members of the federation of apartment owners' associations (Fed AOA) and the superintendent of police (city).According to the proposal, RWAs will spare at least five volunteers from their societies who will be entrusted with the responsibility of manning traffic in their vicinity during peak hours. These volunteers will be trained by the Ghaziabad traffic police and will be provided with ID cards. They will work in coordination with the chowki in-charge of the area. According to SP (city) Aakash Tomar, they plan to raise at least 100 volunteers with this initiative."With traffic jams being a recurring menace, especially during peak hours, it is getting increasingly difficult to manage junctions, given the shortage of manpower in the department, " Tomar said. "In view of this, we held a meeting with representatives of Fed AOA and discussed a proposal wherein we could involve RWAs in managing traffic and I am happy to say that the proposal was well received " Tomar said.Fed AOA patron Alok Kumar, who attended the meeting, said, "We had sent a similar proposal a couple of years ago but it was kept on the back burner and eventually it never materialised.""But at a meeting with the SP (city), a proposal was discussed and now we will be holding talks with RWAs to go ahead with the initiative," Kumar said.In Ghaziabad there are about 125 points or roundabouts, out of which only at 85 points traffic cops could be posted at a given a time while the rest go unattended. According to a traffic police officer, there are only 150 traffic cops in the city while there is an urgent need to induct at least 100 more.

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