Transgenders take pride in new-found respect as traffic assistants

Hyderabad: From seeking alms on city roads to managing traffic at the same places, it has been an incredible journey of empowerment for 39 transgenders in Hyderabad who have been inducted as traffic assistants to help the city police. The transgenders, who have been appointed on a pilot basis, say they now get respect from citizens in contrast to the severe discrimination and insults they faced in the past.

"It is wonderful that we manage traffic at places where we used to beg in the past," Nisha, a transgender traffic assistant, said on Friday. Nisha, who works at Patny Centre here, thanked Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for the opportunity given to the transgender community.

Sana, another traffic assistant, said it is a matter of pride for them that they get respect from citizens, while people earlier used to hesitate to even speak to them. P Viswa Prasad, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), told PTI that the transgender traffic assistants are doing good and that there are no complaints or there is anything abnormal since they have been inducted about 10 days ago.

While the CM on December 6, 2024, handed over 'enrolment papers' to the transgender persons who have been selected, they were formally inducted as traffic assistants on December 22.

As per Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand, about 100 transgenders had applied for the posts and 44 of them were shortlisted after a selection process, including physical tests, while 39 successfully completed training.