The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : A male bastion falls to this intrepid lot

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 13, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A male bastion falls to this intrepid lot

Special Correspondent

CM hands over keys to a dozen policewomen inducted as traffic marshals The number of deaths in road accidents in Greater Chennai police limits was 25 per cent less in 2005 compared to 2004

CALL OF DUTY: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa presents the keys of a motorcycle to a newly inducted woman traffic marshal in Chennai on Thursday and (right) policewomen get a briefing from the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner, R. Nataraj. — Pho to: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Police added another feather in its cap on Thursday by inducting 12 policewomen as traffic marshals.

At a brief function, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, presented the keys of the motorcycles to the women traffic marshals. In appreciation of the services of the traffic police, traffic wardens and members of the Citizens for Safe Roads in bringing down the fatalities in road accidents in the city in 2005, the Chief Minister presented certificates to them.

Twenty-three persons, including the Commissioner, R. Nataraj, Additional Commissioner T.K. Rajendran and Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, K.C.Mahali received the certificates.

Two Road Safety Patrol cadets, Vijayalakshmi and Dinesh, were also among the recipients.

Ms. Jayalalithaa also inaugurated automatic traffic signals at 56 road intersections installed at a cost of Rs.1.81 crore. They will supplement the 146 already functioning in the city.

When the symbolic green signal came alive at the press of a button by Ms. Jayalalithaa, the 12 traffic marshals rode out of the Presidency College Grounds, the function venue.

On arrival, the Chief Minister was presented a guard of honour. The Chief Secretary, N.Narayanan and the Director-General of Police, A.X. Alexander, were among those present on the occasion.

Later, Mr. Nataraj told presspersons that the induction of policewomen as traffic marshals was perhaps the first in the country.

They would join their 100 male counterparts in the city.

The marshals are being deployed for traffic enforcement, to check indiscriminate parking of vehicles and for road safety particularly near schools and colleges.

The Commissioner said that the number of deaths in road accidents in Greater Chennai police limits was 25 per cent less in 2005 compared to 2004.

Due to sustained efforts, the number of fatalities was reducing, he said.

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