Having failed to enforce traffic regulations by itself, the Uttarakhand police is now looking to enforce traffic rules at petrol pumps.Two-wheeler users without helmet will not be sold petrol at petrol pumps and four-wheeler users will also be denied fuel at petrol pumps if they are found to have consumed liquor.
case, the vehicle users scuffle with petrol pump employees after being refused fuel, the police will be deployed at petrol pump and action will be taken against the violator, said Uttarakhand Director General of Police BS Sidhu on Monday.
"This decision has been taken to reduce road accidents in the State. We have issued instructions to the district police heads to implement this order in their respective districts. We also appeal the people to cooperate with the police department for implementing this order and saving lives in the State," he added.
He further said that police will take action against petrol pump owners who do not follow this order.
DGP Sidhu said that district police heads have already been directed to impose challan or take action on traffic violators in cases of drunken driving, speeding, triple-riding, using tinted glasses on cars, overloading, riders without helmets and others under Motor Vehicle Act in the State.
Despite all this, statistics revealed that accidents are increasing day by day in the State.
"We cannot reduce such accidents only by imposing penalty on traffic violators but people's involvement is a must in this campaign. Now, we have decided that two wheeler users without helmet will not be sold petrol at petrol pumps and four-wheeler users will also be denied fuel at petrol pumps if they are found to have consumed liquor," he added.
The DGP said that the district police officers have been directed to ensure that all the petrol pump owners are having local police station telephone number so that in case of scuffle with the vehicle users refused fuel, the police will be deployed at petrol pump action will be taken against violator.
Sidhu said that he decided this after recalling one of the recent accidents in which a truck driver and his helper had consumed liquor and scuffled among themselves and later met with an accident few metres away from petrol pump. Had petrol pump employees refused diesel to the drunk truck driver, the accident could have been averted.
"With the participation of public in this campaign, we can reduce accidents and life of many can be saved in the state," he said.