It appears that the investment of approximately 4 crore rupees in installing 78 smart traffic booths across the city, aimed at providing protection for traffic constables from rain and heat, has yielded no results. None of the personnel have utilized the facilities since their installation approximately a year ago. Each booth, costing 5 lakh rupees, is equipped with amenities such as a fan, an exhaust fan, a seat, and an announcement system, among others.
Additionally, these booths are constructed from a unique material designed to reduce the temperature by approximately 3 degrees Celsius. Ironically, despite soaring city temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius during the scorching summer months, the booths remain vacant.
The booths have been installed at various locations such as Narendra Nagar Square, Pratap Nagar Square, Mate Square, GPO Square, Kachipura Square, Cotton Market Square, Subhash Nagar Square, Agrasen Square, and others. However, none of these booths were occupied by traffic cops. In fact, most of them were found locked from the outside.
According to local media reports, DCP (Traffic) Shashikant Satao has provided a different perspective, stating that many booths are regularly utilized by personnel. Ravindra Kaskhedikar, a founding member of Jan Akrosh, commended the Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation (NSSCDCL) for prioritizing traffic police welfare but emphasized that unused booths represent a waste of public funds.
Citizens also shared similar sentiments. Sanjay Kamble mentioned not witnessing any traffic cop inside the booth at Alankar Talkies Square, expressing concern over taxpayer money being wasted. Motorist Kunal Sahu criticized the flawed idea, suggesting that visible enforcement on roads deters violations. A constable highlighted the necessity of being on the road for effective traffic management. An NSSCDCL official revealed that originally 150 booths were proposed, but the number was reduced to 78 due to lack of space at junctions.