To protect and to smile

MATARAM: Traffic police here are practicing smiles daily to change their image from that of power-thirsty officials, Antara reported on Tuesday.

Traffic police chief Lt. Col. Gatot Chamdani said "in the reform era, we are trying to change ourselves (among other ways) by attending drills for smiling and greeting motorists who have violated rules".

"With this friendly service people will feel they are treated decently and respected, and they in turn will obey traffic rules," he said.

Motorists would no longer feel like criminals, he added, saying that officers too often stopped motorists by barking at them instead of phrasing their request in a polite manner.