The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has brought back its ‘Cop for the Day’ initiative, which will allow volunteers to act as citizen traffic cops for a day, giving them on-ground exposure to real traffic management during peak hours.
The BTP announced the initiative on X, inviting Bengaluru residents to “step into the shoes of a Traffic Cop” and gain firsthand experience of the challenges involved in managing the city’s traffic .
Mohandas Pai, chairman of Aarin Capital and former Infosys CFO, also welcomed the initiative while urging the police to focus on how personnel interact with citizens. “This is a very good initiative bringing police closer to citizens @blrcitytraffic. Also please have programs for police to be polite and helpful to citizens. Very many are coarse and disrespectful, rude!” he wrote. “What a great initiative by Bengaluru Traffic Police! ‘Cop for the Day’ is a brilliant way to understand the challenges traffic police face every day by actually stepping into their shoes. Stand at one signal for two hours and watch bikes jump red lights and autos block the junction. You’ll realise the problem isn’t always the roads or traffic police. Sometimes, it’s us,” commented another.
“This is a smart idea that Pune, Mumbai and all Tier-1 cities should seriously consider.
In a video shared by the police department, an officer said the initiative had been successfully conducted earlier and was now being brought back. The officer said the programme would let citizens spend a day with traffic police personnel to understand their responsibilities and the challenges of managing Bengaluru’s traffic. The initiative also aims to help the traffic police understand citizens’ experiences and perspectives, with feedback expected to improve traffic management and make Bengaluru’s roads “safer and more efficient”. Experiencing Bengaluru traffic from their perspective could give citizens a whole new appreciation for the work they do,” said one user.
