LUCKNOW, Sept. 26 -- When the rain comes pouring down, traffic cops are among those who cannot duck for cover.

They remain at busy crossings, stand in the middle of traffic and ride between deployment points, directing vehicles, as the rain turns roads into a blur of headlights, umbrellas and splashing tyres. This monsoon, though, traffic cops have a new layer of protection and it has a bit of their own design thinking woven in.

The Lucknow traffic department has introduced 800 newly designed raincoats, with the design emerging from suggestions made by the constables who wear them.

A senior officer said that the personnel themselves highlighted the practical difficulties they faced while performing duty in the rain, leading to changes ...