Wiser after a series of fatal mishaps, police have been seeking help from various municipalities for better traffic management. The civic bodies have been requested to join hands with the cops to spread awareness about traffic norms and take steps to ensure road safety. The municipalities have responded to the plea and are in talks with the police over the measures to be taken. Somen Mitra, the deputy inspector-general (Presidency range), said he had written to the chairpersons of the Rajarhat-Gopalpur, South Dum Dum, Panihati and Baranagar municipalities. "I have requested them to play an active role in traffic management.' Elaborating on what had prompted the police to take the move, a senior officer said: "The traffic wings in the city's adjacent areas function with inadequate manpower. Calcutta, covered by 48 police stations, has around 3,000 traffic constables. But for the 95 police station areas in the Presidency range, there are only 650 constables. So, we have no option but to involve the local civic bodies to ensure better traffic regulation.' In some places