Bengaluru Police Rolls Out Kannada Learning Posters in Autos for Non-Kannadigas

Navigating Bengaluru's streets just got a bit easier for tourists and new residents, thanks to a novel initiative by the local traffic police. To tackle the language barrier faced by those not fluent in Kannada, the city's authorities have started an educational campaign. This involves installing posters in autorickshaws that feature common Kannada phrases written in English script, along with their English translations.

Launched on Friday, this effort aims initially to cover 5,000 autorickshaws, promoting better communication between drivers and passengers.

The operation was inspired by the Auto Kannadiga project, created by Azzu Sulthan, a 31-year-old autorickshaw driver from Jakkur. Sulthan equipped his vehicle with boards displaying useful Kannada phrases and their English counterparts to aid those unfamiliar with the local dialect. Recognizing the positive impact of Sulthan's initiative, the traffic police decided to adopt and expand this approach across the city. The ultimate goal is to extend this educational campaign to 50,000 autorickshaws within the month, facilitating smoother interactions for all city dwellers and visitors regardless of their linguistic background.

MN Anucheth, the Joint Commissioner of Bengaluru Traffic Police, highlighted the issue of misunderstandings between autorickshaw drivers and non-Kannadiga customers, often attributed to language differences. He pointed out that such misunderstandings have been the root of numerous complaints.

The posters not only offer basic conversational phrases but also include critical information like emergency police contact numbers, enhancing safety and convenience for riders. Additional phrases such as "meter haaki" (put on the meter) have been added to empower passengers during their travels.