Taking cognisance of the routine disorder in traffic regulation in the urban areas of the State, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has directed officials to set up a system for penalising traffic offenders using CCTV cameras. Medium and long term plans should also be made to facilitate proper regulation of traffic, said the CM while also stating that the budget for traffic improvement would be increased. The CM also directed that a week-long awareness programme be organised to improve traffic management. Rawat said this while chairing a meeting to review four plain districts - Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital on Sunday.
The State’s Director-General of Police BS Sidhu said that there is an immediate need for manpower in traffic management tasks. The CM assured that police budget would be raised in the upcoming budget session. He directed the Chief Secretary to review the traffic management on a regular basis and establish inter-departmental coordination.
Rawat said that the police should use CCTV cameras for issuing challans to those found violating traffic regulations. Boards informing the public of CCTV surveillance should also be put up in areas with this facility. In order to motivate two-wheeler riders to wear helmets, pictures of road accidents should be displayed on one side of the Challan ticket. The CM directed officials to install traffic lights and ensure their efficient utilisation wherever required. The task of maintaining the traffic lights should be handed over to a government agency while revenues from advertisements on these lights should go to the municipal corporation. In addition to this, electricity poles erected on the road should also be removed.
Rawat directed that the ADB excavation for works in the city be stopped now and completion of works in excavated sites be ensured first. Working area-wise, the ADB officials will informed the senior superintendent of police in advance about the location and task to be executed. The ADB should not start new excavations until the works at existing excavations are completed.
Rawat instructed officials to identify the parking space for different types of vehicles in Haldwani, Kaladhungi and Bhawali.
Pointing at traffic jams being caused by dumpers transporting materials quarried from the Gaula river in Haldwani, he directed that a road be developed along the Gaula river between Kathgodam and lalkuan. The help of industrial enterprises can be taken under corporate social responsibility for traffic arrangement in Rudrapur, Kashipur, Dehradun and Haridwar. In Haridwar district, emphasis should also be laid on works in Roorkee and Bhagwanpur. In Dehradun there is need to check traffic movement during peak hours - school closing time and also dissuade movement of government vehicles during this period. For this police deparment should issue advisory to the public for avoiding vehicular movements during peak hour. Meeting can also be held with representatives of political parties to identify a specific site for staging protests so that the common public doesn’t suffer due to the protest rallies. Talks should also be held with religious and cultural organisations to fix route for processions in order to mitigate traffic jam and public inconvenience due to religious and cultural processions.
The meeting was attended by chief secretary Shatrughna Singh, DGP BS Sidhu, ADG AK Raturi, IG Sanjay Gunjyal, Additonal secretary Arvind Singh Hyanki, Dehradun DM Ravinath Raman, Dehradun SSP Sadanand Date, Udham Sing Nagar SSP Kewal Khurana, Haridwar SSP Santhil Abudai Krishna Raj S and Nainital SSP Sweety Aggarwal among others.