Only a special occasion can get you out of bed early during winter in the Garden City. Yet, on Tuesday morning, I sprang awake
I dreamt of reflective vests, shrill whistles, and the thrill of flagging down rule-breaking motorists. As the Bengaluru Traffic Police invited citizens to experience what it feels like to manage peak-hour traffic, I enrolled for duty at one of the city’s most infamous bottlenecks: Iblur junction.
At 8 a.m., my colleague N. Ravichandran and I inched along Outer Ring Road. By the time we reached Iblur around 8.30 a.m., the day already felt long.
The briefing
Bellandur inspector Nagappa C. and assistant sub-inspector A. Krishnappa handed me a reflective jacket and briefed me for 20 minutes. By 9 a.m., I was ready to live the dream, only to realise they weren’t giving me a whistle. I decided I would rely on my voice instead.
Six routes converge at this junction, fed by traffic from Sarjapur, Silk Board and Yemlur. Donning the jacket, I began managing vehicles moving from the Silk Board side towards Sarjapur.
A biker in a black jacket looked me up and down and smiled oddly as he waited for the green signal. I refocused on the lights, checking if it was time to stop the Sarjapur stream. That’s when someone behind me said, “Sir, naavu?” (“Sir, we?”). A long line of pedestrians stood waiting for me to clear their way, some already attempting to cross through heavy traffic. I tried to politely ask them to step back. They didn’t.
One woman in her 50s depended entirely on me to stop vehicles. As soon as the signal turned red, I rushed to the middle of the road, halted traffic, and let them cross. Before I could breathe, honking erupted again, from a different direction. It wasn’t a warning anymore; it was frustration.
It took six full signal cycles for me to grasp the juggling act: keeping vehicles in their lanes, watching for signal changes, tracking pedestrians, giving hand signals, and receiving congestion updates from stationed officers.
The chaos
Managing everything smoothly proved impossible. Persistent honking drilled my ears, exhaust settled on my head, coughing became constant, and my legs felt heavy.
An ambulance suddenly appeared in my lane. I froze. ASI Krishnappa rushed forward, stopped traffic, and cleared the path. No sooner had it passed than the honking resumed.
Minutes later, a car brushed against another, and both stopped in the middle of the road. Mr. Krishnappa and I ran to handle it. I tried urging vehicles to move, but motorists slowed down to stare. A biker shouted a slur at me for blocking traffic.
Hunger set in. I asked Mr. Krishnappa when they usually eat. He said breakfast comes only after peak hours, around 11.30 a.m. Reading my mind, he suggested a coffee break. My back ached, and dust coated my tongue and nose. The second half of duty wasn’t any easier, but at least I now understood the rhythm.
When duty finally ended at 11.15 a.m., my phone showed 7,000 steps, just from pacing around. I returned to the police chowki, washed my face, and sat down
Bengaluru traffic, up close
Like the city itself, Bengaluru’s traffic is a vivid mix of languages, behaviours, ages and vehicle types.
By the end of the session, I realised that lower-ranked officers are the true foot soldiers and traffic police personnel had one of the most thankless jobs.
Before leaving, I asked Mr. Krishnappa how he handles the stress every day. He smiled warmly and said his job keeps him satisfied.
Suresh Kumar too turns traffic police for a day
Rajajinagar MLA S. Suresh Kumar too stepped into the role of a traffic police officer at Bhashyam Circle on Tuesday.
Mr. Kumar said he took up the responsibility after being impressed by the initiative of the Bengaluru Traffic Police. He said he wanted to understand the daily challenges faced by traffic police and observe how traffic signals and enforcement work on the ground.
He was seen moving around, stopping vehicles moving recklessly, and guiding pedestrians. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kumar urged the public to strictly follow traffic rules, noting that violations remain high because many motorists fail to comply.
Published – November 18, 2025 09:54 pm IST
