Taking a serious note of the rampant violation of traffic rules, traffic police is all set to embark on an awareness campaign to make the commuters aware of the details of the traffic rules. Facing flak from cross- section of the people for the city encountering traffic snarls almost daily, the top brass of traffic police think that the intensive campaign would ease things to some extent. They further say that the people driving vehicles on the narrow roads while giving a short shrift to the traffic rules are leading to the traffic pileup that takes time to unclog. And when the political or other activists take to the roads to vent grievances the mess is complete, runs the critical refrain.
The traffic cops say that those riding two-wheelers or driving cars while defying rules are not just inviting risk to themselves but also landing others in trouble. “It is a common sight to find people driving cars without putting the seat belts on. The same is true of the two-wheeler riders. Many of them do not care to wear the helmets. And even those who don the helmets are not inclined to lock the helmet straps rightly,” said Ashish Singh, a constable.
The traffic cops further say that the people must keep in mind while driving the rudimentary fact that the left- hand side should be left free. “However, the reverse is what is happening. This is leaving an adverse impact on the general movement of traffic. This is one of the things that must be highlighted during the awareness campaign,” said another city-based traffic police official.
Another problem that is aggravating things on the roads is the spiraling number of vehicles being brought on the roads with the width of the roads remaining the same. “The only solution lies in widening the roads and building up flyovers to decongest the roads,” said a senior sub- inspector, Dalanwala Sanjay Kumar. He further said slapping penalties for traffic rule violations and going for intensive campaign should go hand in hand. “Mere extraction of penalties without making them aware of the rules of how to be on the safe side of things would not suffice. We hope things would yield result and the people’s daily ordeal on the road would be mitigated significantly,” he added.
Dhirendra Gunjiyal SP Traffic , said that the city’s roundabouts not being in their proper places are leaving the people confused. “Besides, under-age driving is another menace we are tackling daily. Given our experiences, those in the age group of 15 to 30 are most prone to break the traffic rules. We are conducting traffic rule -related programmes in the schools. Besides, counselling is being organized at our behest to spread awareness among the parents so that the coming days are a bit safer for all,” he added.