Accidents being reported from various parts of the district almost daily have become a cause of concern for the police administration in Dehradun. City Patrol Unit (CPU) personnel will be deputed on the outskirts areas of the State capital to check the menace of over-speeding vehicles taking toll on lives and other violations of the traffic regulations, said Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Sadanand Shankar Rao Date, while interacting with the media persons on Friday.
Observers opine that the accidents being reported from various parts of the district almost daily are leaving people scared. “CPU introduced in the city around one year ago has succeeded to compel the to-wheeler riders to wear helmets. But they are yet to discipline the bus drivers, whose reckless driving is leading to scores of deaths in accidents, particularly in Premnagar area, Vikasnagar, Nehru Colony area, Shimla Bypass and other highways,” one of them said.
Agreeing to the people’s view that police must be more active to stop mishaps, SSP Date said that he had inspected several areas and directed the police officers to take measures to improve traffic system in the city and to stop over-speeding to control accidents. In coordination with other departments, several measures will be taken to improve the traffic system, he assured.
Among several reasons behind fatal accidents recurring in the district, over- speeding is the principal one, say people.
“Hapless being mowed down under the speeding wheels of city buses, trucks and tractors present a sordid picture of how the traffic rules are being flouted with impunity. Besides, cars being parked on the roadsides because the paucity of parking spaces and the vendors and shopkeepers encroaching roads are leaving them vulnerable to accidents. We would take effective steps to clear the roads of such obstructions,” Date said.
He further said heavy vehicles will be allowed entry in the city during fixed period. “The entry of heavy vehicles during the school hours will be banned. The entry of city buses and Vikrams on specific roads especially crowded area will be banned too,” he added.
There are around 10 units of CPU which have been pressed into service to enforce traffic regulations and act as a swift response team to crack down on crimes like chain- snatching, eve- teasing and other offences in the state capital, will be deputed in Vikas Nagar highway, Shimla Bypass and Haridwar Road areas where accident cases are on the rise, he said.
It should be mentioned here that persons dying in accident are being reported on daily basis in the district. A 21 –year-old second semester student of a Dehradun- based law college, Gaurav Rana, resident of Mothrowala, died on the spot while his girl friend was injured when the bike they were on was hit by a private college bus speeding from behind at Prem Nagar area on Thursday.
A 56 -year- old woman died and her husband Chandra Singh, resident of Premnagar, was seriously injured when the bike they were sitting on had a head-on collision by a petrol tanker coming from the opposite direction at Haridwar bypass on Wednesday. On Monday, Sarvesh Rai (17), resident of Chanderbani, died when the Scooty he was on was knocked down by an Army bus.