``I realised that this is the ideal way to regulate traffic and make people aware of traffic rules from one point. I have been a traffic warden for the past eight years and I believe it's part of social service to do what I can to help. So some time ago I requested ACP (Traffic) Suresh Kamlapurkar to allow me to make announcements while the traffic cop directed traffic,''says Dandawate.

So, every evening between 6.30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Dandawate dressed in the traffic warden's uniform of a white shirt, blue trousers and cap makes his way from his Kothrud residence to either the solar booth at the Alka Chowk or the one near the Indian Metereological Department, Shivajinagar.

The announcements range from requesting drivers to stop when the signal turns red, directing two-wheelers not to take the Sambhaji bridge where they are banned to asking pedestrians to be careful while crossing the road. I have been involved in social work for the past 25 years and have been making suggestion to the traffic police department on how they could improve traffic circulation,'' says Dandawate who recently retired from the post of statistician from the agriculture department. Just what kind of reactions have these polite requests elicited?

``Of course, for the first few days most people did not quite know how to react to these announcements. One couple even came up to me and said I was adding to the noise pollution. But I convinced them on how much announcements had helped to regulate traffic at the busy junction. For example, recently when there was a breakdown in the traffic signal system I helped the traffic policemen on duty to ensure a smooth flow,'' he says.

The next time you are whizzing past the busy Alka chowk and hear polite announcements, listen to them carefully. And as Dandawate would say, ``Follow them. After all, its all for the safety of citizens.''