Traffic cops, your Nanben da

CHENNAI: From more than a decade ago, police booths in the city had a single line written across them that read ‘Tamil Nadu Police are Your Friend’. Whether or not people took them up on that claim, it certainly was the butt of jokes in regional cinema. Last Monday when Chennai woke up to large, colourful hoardings that screamed ‘Traffic Police are your Nanban (friend) - All is Well!’ with the artwork and logos from Vijay-starrer Nanban, it became an instant hit.The Chennai City Traffic Police (CCTP) have struck gold with their road safety campaign branded around the phrase from Kollywood, agreed ACP (Traffic), Sanjay Arora. “We are very pleased as it has caught a lot of motorists’ attention during road safety month,” he said.Though the CCTP has been using innovative, ‘urban’ ads since 2008, the response has never quite been this good. “Some of the ‘wear a helmet’ ads that we put out were eye-catching but never quite managed to generate as much interest as our Kolaveri ad,” said Arora. Road users might recall the ‘Why this Kolaveri’ that urged people to drive without anger, that came out last month while the Kolaveri craze was riding its crest. “It’s all about timing,” added Arora. Needless to say, the ads have also earned a virtual thumbs up from hundreds of the CCTP’s Facebook community regulars. Surprisingly, the cops had not intimated the films’ makers of these ads. “We have not asked for any permission as these ads were designed by well-wishers,” he said.So are cine-inspired ads the route to upping traffic safety? “Anything, when it helps save a life,” concluded Arora.A lone traffic cop had misgivings, though. “I just hope when I stop someone for overspeeding they don’t say Nanben-da!”