Madurai's traffic cops to get booths with ACs

Madurai: While many of us work in swanky air-conditioned offices, our traffic policemen have to perform their duty in scorching heat. But this summer will be different, at least for Madurai's men in uniform.

The city is soon going to see solar-powered air conditioned traffic booths for these men so that traffic policing could soon be a cool job, quite literally.

With the mercury crossing 38 degrees centigrade, these booths will give traffic policemen some respite from the heat and smoke.

"They suffer, they breathe bad air and inhale smoke that comes out of automobiles," said J Rajendran, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Madurai.

Policemen say inhaling the smoke and dust often leads to disease and they welcome this cool initiative.

"This will keep us away from diseases," said Head Constable Arumugham. "This is good. This kind of encouragement will motivate us to work harder and longer," added Gubendran, a Traffic Constable.

Originally a gift from an NGO, now corporates have joined hands to replace all the 36 traditional traffic booths in Madurai with these. Once these booths are installed, the city will certainly become a role model for better working conditions for policemen.