The plan is to eventually have 200 such personnel to man prominent city crossings. Started under the aegis of local NGOs like Sanatan Viklang Sanstha, the programme aims to strengthen disabled people and bring in a positive change to the city's traffic scenario.
"The concept was that if disabled persons can manage traffic at busy crossings, we can at least expect a physically fit person to follow the traffic rules," Ashutosh Dwivedi of the traffic department said, adding that the NGO had contacted the traffic department with this idea.
The newly appointed traffic warders, mostly in the age-group of 25-40 years, will get salaries from funds collected with the contribution of local NGOs and business firms. The department has decided to give around Rs 2,500 to each person. Currently, around 12 disabled persons are under training at Hariparwat and St John's crossing of the city where they are being trained how to control traffic.
Incidentally, the Kanpur traffic department has started a similar traffic management drive with the help of disabled traffic cops. The newly appointed traffic wardens in Agra were selected by the department from the list of disabled persons provided by the local NGO. Persons with a maximum disability of 40% were considered by the department during recruitment.
The initiative, which saw disabled persons manning traffic since March 3, has got much appreciation from locals. The official said that launching such initiatives in a city like Agra, which is visited by hundreds of foreigners every day, will surely help in changing the mindset of people towards India.
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