TimesView This is an innovative approach to solving some of our traffic problems. Giving some of the everyday rule violators a chance to see the traffic mess from the other side can be more effective than punishment. But cops can go beyond this. They should explore the possibility of tracking some of these drivers and making them role models among their peers. KOLKATA: For 40-odd auto drivers across the two Beliaghata routes this Friday offered a different experience. The last day of the road safety week started with a workshop led by the Beliaghata Traffic Guard officers, where the auto drivers learnt what it meant to be “road ready”. The drivers received lessons on administering CPR and were explained the importance of the ‘golden hour’ in saving the lives of accident victims.The drivers who often get a bad name on the city roads, got an opportunity to give something back to the society. “We usually prefer not being involved when an accident has taken place and avoid the victims. We are fearful of police harassment. But today, we learnt that whatever little we can do can also save lives,” said Gobinda Naskar, one of the participants.The workshop included video analyses of actual accidents. “The idea is to draw lessons from real accidents. They always have a deeper impact,” said a sergeant of Kolkata Police. This module was supervised by a Beliaghata traffic guard team lead by ACP Alok Sanyal. “We wanted to boost their self esteem and morale, and make them become more responsible members of the society. This will also help them transform their image,” said Sanyal.He added that ultimately, the cops hoped that they could utilize the services of the auto drivers to attend to accident victims. “In most cases, the drivers are the first respondents to any accident and we need them to help victims in many ways. We recognized that fact and trained them in emergency medical aid,” he said.The cops who were the trainers at the workshop in Beliaghata have themselves been trained by medical professionals in emergency first aid procedures. In the near future, these drivers will also be given first aid kits worth Rs 200 and dustbins that can be installed inside their vehicles to prevent passengers from littering.The police effort was, however, not restricted to educate auto drivers on saving lives. The Vidyasar traffic guard got clerics and priests to deliver a speech on road safety. At the Howrah bridge traffic guard and Kasba traffic guard, auto drivers not only managed traffic, but underwent medical checks to ascertain if they can put in long hours on the roads.

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