Hyderabad, Nov 15 (IANS): Transgenders will be recruited as volunteers for traffic management and ‘drunk and drive’ checks in Hyderabad.

They will be deployed to manage traffic in bustling areas of Greater Hyderabad in the first phase.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has asked officials to appoint transgenders as traffic volunteers to address the growing traffic problems in the state.

He suggested that their services be utilised like Home Guards. They will be deployed at traffic intersections and prevent signal jumping and other violations of traffic rules.

The Chief Minister also suggested that the services of transgenders be utilised for drunk and drive checking. As the areas falling under all three commissionerates of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda are witnessing a surge in drunken driving cases, he said that transgenders may be deployed at checking points.

He asked officials to finalise a special dress code for transgenders and also fix the salary at par with the salary of Home Guards.

He wanted officials to implement the decision on an experimental basis at the earliest.

A decision to rope in transgenders as traffic volunteers in Hyderabad was made in September. The officials were asked to collect details of transgenders interested to serve as volunteers for traffic management.

The Chief Minister suggested that they be provided the required training for traffic management for a week to 10 days.

Officials say the appointment of transgenders as traffic volunteers will not only provide a source of income but will also give them respect in society.

The move to hire transgenders as volunteers comes amid the increasing traffic congestion in Greater Hyderabad due to the ever-growing number of vehicles.

In July, Cyberabad Police with the support of IT companies launched an initiative ‘Traffic Marshals’ to facilitate the smooth traffic flow in Cyberabad, especially in the IT corridor.

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