Keep your cool on the road: Cops hold meditation camp for commercial drivers
Times of India | 5 August 2026
Kolkata: Traffic police are not limiting their road safety checks for commercial drivers to eyesight, blood pressure and blood sugar. They are also focusing on mental health, saying a driver’s state of mind often affects how safely they drive.
As part of Road Safety Week, the Thakurpukur traffic guard, with support from Lalbazar, organized a meditation camp for commercial drivers at Barisha Ramakrishna Mission in Purba Barisha, near Sakherbazar, on Tuesday.
A senior officer of the Thakurpukur traffic guard said police often receive complaints about aggressive behaviour by drivers, including the use of abusive language.
“While we do check physical parameters like eyesight, high blood pressure and sugar levels, we also receive complaints about drivers behaving aggressively. It is important to help them control their temper, and we thought meditation would be a good start,” the officer said.
Around 41 commercial drivers, including auto operators, small truck drivers and app-cab drivers, attended the session. Prabhasananda Maharaj, president of Barisha Ramakrishna Mission, presided over the programme.
The initiative comes amid concerns over traffic violations, aggressive overtaking and stress-related accidents on major roads such as EM Bypass and AJC Bose Road. Police said commercial drivers often work long hours and face noise pollution, fatigue and mental stress. Traffic officials now plan to work with mental health professionals and yoga instructors to introduce regular mindfulness sessions.
“The police asked me to come here. Initially, I was unsure how it would help. But after taking part, I feel this is necessary. Maharaj’s words reminded us why we need to control our temper,” said Bapi Das, an auto driver who attended the session.
Another participant, Raju Ghosh, said he felt calmer after the programme.
Transport union representatives welcomed the initiative, saying long working hours take a toll on drivers’ well-being. Authorities plan to expand the programme into a regular stress-relief campaign, hoping that calmer drivers will help make roads safer and reduce accidents.
On the second day of Road Safety Week, the Tiljala traffic guard also organized a fun training event for commercial bikers on basic traffic rules.
A senior Tiljala traffic guard officer said accident analysis showed that two-wheelers form a major share of vehicles involved in crashes, both as offending vehicles and as victims.
“Two-wheeler riders were trained through a fun game on the EM Bypass service road to create awareness about lane discipline and stop-line rules. They were also sensitized about checking vehicle fitness, including tyres and brakes, before starting a journey,” the officer said.
DCP Traffic South Nikhil Agarwal also interacted with the riders and exchanged views with them.