With traffic rule violation and resultant accidents continuing unabated across the State, the newly formed State traffic directorate has decided to use the optimum resources existing in the police department fully aside from going for some innovative moves to streamline and improve the traffic system.
“We are also set to put the city patrol unit (CPU) personnel on the roads who would assist the traffic and the local police. All would be held accountable after their responsibilities are fixed,” said the State traffic directorate in-charge Assistant Inspector General of police Kewal Khurana on Monday. Directed to bring down accidents by at least 10 percent in a year, the directorate would review the past accidents to ascertain the exact causes that triggered them, he said.
In another important move, the traffic directorate has decided to put pressure on the parents of the students to stop their children from indulging in under-age driving and other kinds of traffic rule violation. “The parents must see to it that their children do not flout the traffic norms. If they are caught doing the same on the roads the parents would be summoned to have things accounted for,” Khurana said. He further said that letters have been sent to DIGs of both Garhwal range and Kumaon ranges, requesting them to meet the school authorities to ask the latter to provide parking spaces for the students and their parents. We have also decided to provide certificates to the students who pledge to abide by the traffic rules. If they are found flouting them such certificates would be taken away,” he said.
While admitting that traffic personnel need to be trained in the art of traffic controlling, he said that providing them with the required equipment like alcometer is not enough. “They must be trained too,” he said. “What’s app number -8755721002 has been released for the people to suggest things for the improvement in the traffic system. Traffic website would also be launched and suggestions would be invited, he added.
“We are having several challenges like traffic congestion outside schools, commercial establishments and other busy market areas besides shortage of parking space. People usually park their vehicles alongside the roads, compounding congestion on the roads. The parking rule violators would be made to pay penalties. We have urged the civic bodies, the district administrations and other departments to provide for parking spaces. Those running the commercial establishments have been directed to ensure that their customers have their cars parked in the designated places,”
Khurana said.
Sounding worried over the accident and casualty figures, he said that 1200 accidents happening and 2000 people dying in them on an average every year are appalling figures. “We would try to get to the bottom of the accidents, fix the causes and ensure that accidents are controlled,” he said.
Khurana said that he would regularly interact with the senior officers of various departments while seeking their cooperation in enforcing the traffic rules and also in improving the traffic infrastructure to ease the ordeals on the roads.
He also referred to the spike in accidents in the mountainous parts of the state, saying that overloading and drunk driving aside from poor road engineering and poor maintenance of the vehicles are responsible for mishaps there. “We are firming up concrete plans to check mishaps both in the plains and the hills of the state,” he added.