Bhubaneswar is very fast growing in to a metro city in comparison to and in contrast with other cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. About one lakh vehicles are plying in this Odisha capital city daily.
Tens and thousands of jostling crowds are vying with one another racing against time giving a very little breathing space to the working traffic control personnel.
Bhubaneswar traffic is under the direct control and supervision of a seasoned cop like Assistant Commissioner of Police Binod Kumar Das, who works wonders, the stringent conditions and tiresome situations notwithstanding.
Das possesses many chinks in his armour. He remains every inch a true cop to his boots and acts like a proverbial Roman General against any odds and unforeseen dangers confronting the metro traffic establishment. He has varied experiences from managing traffic system to providing escort to VVIPs security arrangements. An intrepid police officer, Das follows the saints and sinners alike who violates traffic rules even by an inch, no matter, however, misunderstood he may be by the so-called privileged sections of the society.
He had had his special training from the CSWT, Indore; PSO Training Course at NSG Training Centre at Maneswar, Haryana; Commando Training Course at ITBP Training Centre, Mussoorie; Disaster Management Training at Bangalore; and visited Hot Spring at ladakh to his credit.
Very few officers possess such enviable track record to match his achievements. In an interview to The Pioneer at his AG Square office he spoke to Sugyan Choudhury.
The current system of traffic management for the newly-emerging metro city of Bhubaneswar seems inadequate; what’s your opinion as the ACP, Traffic ControlIJ
As you know, there are 12 lakh vehicles registered in Bhubaneswar while one lakh vehicles are plying in and out of the city daily.
Besides, you must be aware of the fact that about 200 new vehicles are being registered daily in the RTA Office, Bhubaneswar, consequently contributing to 70,000 to 80,000 vehicles annually.
The present population of Bhubaneswar is around 10 lakh and a large-scale exodus of people from the rural areas to Bhubaneswar takes place daily, adding to the traffic burden. As per national statistical guidelines, for every one lakh of vehicles 60 competent traffic police personnel are required to deliver the goods.
Hence, you can well imagine our plight, but despite the constraints we are working successfully under the Nelson eyes of our Commissioner
and Deputy Commissioner in particular and the higher echelons of the police administration in general.
What are the new plans in offing to cover the vulnerable traffic points like Rasulgarh, Vani Vihar, AG Square, Kalpana Square and Rabi Talkies Square, etc., where fatal accidents occursIJ
Remedial measures to the effects like e-challaning systems, installation of CC cameras and scientific signalling systems will be enforced shortly to overcome the menace as you pointed.
How does your traffic establishment contemplate for safe passages to pedestrians in the model of Mumbai and DelhiIJ We understand the difficulties confronted by the pedestrians at present.
This inconvenience will disappear soon after all the construction works of flyovers and expansion of roads are completed.Safe passages for pedestrians will be marked.
Besides, multistoried parking places are essentially required to curb traffic jams.It is observed that your department has not taken stern measures against people urinating in the open, even while dignitaries passing through the roadIJ
That is the lookout of the BMC (Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation) authorities. It is a matter of pity that when law is meant for all, your department seems to discriminate between certain sections of people as regards parking of vehicle. Are they above lawIJ
Generally, certain sections of people are claiming themselves as privileged sections and parking their vehicles on roads.
Our repeated requests fall flat on their ears.
I may not be taken amiss that even some people claiming them as mediapersons, as high officials, dignitaries and their relatives are trying to take law into their own hands and creating public nuisance by parking their vehicles on the roads and even it is found during VVIPs’visit too.
Thus, what we need in our society today is the inculcation of civic sense and traffic sense to overcome such events. About 96 per cent of traffic violations are committed not only by uneducated and ignorant people but by the educated ones. We therefore need educated conscious citizen to cooperate with the traffic personnel for our smooth and successful operation.