Delhi Man Managed Traffic Voluntarily For 30 Years Even After Heartbreaking Tragedy

Delhi's Ganga Ram is determined to make our roads safer for commuters.

By Rayomand Engineer

September 20, 2018

Ganga Ram is a 72-year-old owner of a TV repair shop. Nothing special about him, except that every day without fail, Ram handles the chaotic traffic at a busy intersection in Seelampur, New Delhi.

Ram has been doing this job for over 30 years, and in recognition of his dedication, earlier this year, the Delhi Traffic Police inducted him as a traffic sentinel, reports the Hindustan Times.

In 2015, Ram lost his son to a traffic accident when he was crossing the road at a busy intersection. After his son’s demise, Ram has doubled his efforts, ensuring that he is at the intersection at least 8-10 hours a day, starting at 9:00 a.m., during peak hour traffic till around 10:00 p.m.

Without fail, Ganga Ram directs traffic at Delhi’s busy intersections, every day. Image Credit: Qamar Sibtain

By his own admission to the Hindustan Times, Ganga Ram comes from a low-income family. After his son’s death, his daughter-in-law became the sole breadwinner for the family. His TV repairing business barely makes any money, and it was only when his neighbours saw Ganga Ram’s torn clothes that they all pooled in and decided to contribute to his cause of maintaining law and order on the road.

Depender Pathak, the former Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) had praised Ram’s knowledge of Seelampur and Maujpur area and said the man’s expertise was of great help.

Along with Ram, around 318 other traffic sentinels were sworn in, to help cops man busy intersectional and internal roads. The department provided them with ID cards, uniforms, reflective jackets and caps so that motorists can recognise them, and obey their directions.

This is not the first time that an ordinary citizen has decided to take up the responsibility of regulating traffic. It was the rising frustration caused by chaotic traffic that motivated Ajit Lakshmirathan to come out of retirement at the age of 65 (in 2015) and step onto the busy roads near his home in Whitefield. Read here, about how the ex-RBI employee cast aside all airs, and stepped onto the busy thoroughfare, to ensure smooth traffic movement.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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