HYDERABAD: More than 30 senior citizens, aged between 60 and 75 years, have been taking to the streets in Abids for the past one week, to educate city motorists about traffic norms. Their objective: to assist authorities in raising awareness about road safety. They have taken up this task as part of an initiative by the Ismaili Civic and the Aga Khan Social Welfare Board in collaboration with the Hyderabad traffic police.
“Every day, we position ourselves at three different junctions, including Big Bazar junction, Nizams Ground, and Taj Mahal junction, and engage in a musical act when the traffic light turns red, emphasising the importance of taking safety measures and adhering to rules,” said Dilshad Panjwani, a 73-year-old participant. The seniors display placards at various locations, featuring slogans. When TOI caught up with them, they were seen performing the musical act, braving the intense afternoon heat, at signals, tirelessly. While the women were dressed in white salwaar-kurtas, men wore white shirts. Mumtaz Bardayi, who at 75-yearold is the oldest yet most enthusiastic member of the group, said the group also checks if everyone is following traffic rules. “Even if we can save just one life, we’ll consider our efforts worthwhile,” she said, highlighting that age should not limit the commitment to saving lives.
Amin Ladha, president of the Ismaili Council for Southern India, shared how accidents claim many lives every year. “Many incidents can be avoided by educating motorists,” he said adding, “We could not have done this without the traffic police.”
The Hyderabad traffic police, which actively facilitated the entire initiative, shared that it routinely penalises over 250 offenders at a single junction every day. Their focus is now also towards advocating for mandatory use of helmet for pillion riders and seatbelt for back seat passengers. ACP of the traffic central zone, B Erna, emphasised the uniqueness of this drive and said: “This reiterates our belief that road safety is a collective responsibility of society, extending beyond the role of authorities and police. It’s a collaboration of all the stakeholders.”
“Every day, we position ourselves at three different junctions, including Big Bazar junction, Nizams Ground, and Taj Mahal junction, and engage in a musical act when the traffic light turns red, emphasising the importance of taking safety measures and adhering to rules,” said Dilshad Panjwani, a 73-year-old participant. The seniors display placards at various locations, featuring slogans. When TOI caught up with them, they were seen performing the musical act, braving the intense afternoon heat, at signals, tirelessly. While the women were dressed in white salwaar-kurtas, men wore white shirts. Mumtaz Bardayi, who at 75-yearold is the oldest yet most enthusiastic member of the group, said the group also checks if everyone is following traffic rules. “Even if we can save just one life, we’ll consider our efforts worthwhile,” she said, highlighting that age should not limit the commitment to saving lives.
Amin Ladha, president of the Ismaili Council for Southern India, shared how accidents claim many lives every year. “Many incidents can be avoided by educating motorists,” he said adding, “We could not have done this without the traffic police.”
The Hyderabad traffic police, which actively facilitated the entire initiative, shared that it routinely penalises over 250 offenders at a single junction every day. Their focus is now also towards advocating for mandatory use of helmet for pillion riders and seatbelt for back seat passengers. ACP of the traffic central zone, B Erna, emphasised the uniqueness of this drive and said: “This reiterates our belief that road safety is a collective responsibility of society, extending beyond the role of authorities and police. It’s a collaboration of all the stakeholders.”