20 Lakh Vehicles, Just 520 Cops: Traffic Policing Buckles Under Pressure

Nagpur: With over 20 lakh vehicles crowding city roads every day, the traffic policing system in Nagpur is running on fumes. Against a sanctioned strength of 843 personnel, barely 520 traffic cops are effectively on duty daily to manage chaos across 171 signalised junctions and a population of 36.22 lakh.Official data reveals that while the traffic branch has approval for 59 officers and 784 personnel, the actual working strength is 654 — including officers and staff. However, nearly 20% remain unavailable daily due to weekly offs, leave or medical grounds. Add to this frequent bandobast and VIP deployments, and the number of personnel physically regulating traffic drops to around 520.For a city of Nagpur's size, officials admit that at least 900 traffic personnel are required for effective enforcement. Instead, only 50 of the 171 traffic junctions are manned on a regular basis — with just two constables per junction, working 12-hour shifts from 9am to 9pm. The remaining 121 junctions function largely without consistent on-ground supervision.The manpower crisis is stark at the officer level too. Of the 59 sanctioned officer posts, 29 remain vacant, weakening supervision and enforcement planning. The traffic branch is divided into 12 zones, but six personnel in each zone — a total of 72 — are tied up in office duties, further shrinking field strength.The impact is visible on the streets. Helmetless riding, triple-seat travel, wrong-side driving, signal jumping and reckless speeding have become routine. With each traffic constable effectively handling thousands of vehicles daily, sustained enforcement has become nearly impossible.Sources said the strain intensifies during VIP visits and major events in the city, when personnel are diverted for security duties. "We are managing with whatever manpower we have, but the vehicle population has grown exponentially," a senior officer admitted.While Nagpur's vehicular growth continues unchecked, traffic enforcement remains understaffed and overstretched. Without urgent recruitment and structural reforms, road discipline may remain a distant goal — and commuters will continue to navigate a city where signals exist, but enforcement often doesn't.