In a bid to provide hassle-free passage to emergency vehicles during disasters, the AAP Government is mulling to mount hooters and cameras on such vehicles.
Sources said, “Once the vehicle is on any emergency duty, it should switch on its camera so that it can record the footage of those vehicles which do not provide it passage. later, heavy penalties can be imposed on such vehicle owners.”
The final decision is to be taken at a Cabinet meeting in the matter.
Also, the Arvind Kejriwal Government is mulling creating dedicated lanes to pave way for smooth passage of emergency services during disasters on the lines of Commonwealth Games 2010 in the national Capital.
Delhi PWD Minister Satyendra Jain has held a high-level meeting with officials of the Delhi Police Traffic wing and the Public Works Department to see if lanes could be identified for smooth flow of traffic during emergencies.
At a recent meeting, the Minister was reportedly of the view that there was an urgent need for having dedicated lanes to carry out emergency services. The lanes would be earmarked exclusively for ambulances, fire tenders, police and disaster management vehicles.
But both PWD and Delhi traffic police have reportedly suggested that earmarking of dedicated lanes would cause to more congestion and traffic mess on the roads. Sources said during the meeting, traffic police has suggested that camera be mounted on emergency vehicles.
“Once the vehicle is on any emergency duty, it should switch on its camera so that it can record the footage of those vehicles which do not provide it passage. later, heavy penalties can be imposed on such vehicle owners,” said officials.
A PWD official who attended the meeting said due to heavy traffic load it was not possible to earmark lanes exclusively for emergency services. They reportedly told the Minister that dedicated lanes during the Commonwealth Games did not affect the vehicular movement as these games were for a very limited period. But for having such permanent lanes was not that easy, the officials said, adding, “Such emergency lanes could be possible in some pockets of Outer Delhi only, that too for a limited period.”
At present, the city has about 87 lakh registered vehicles. Of these, 25 lakh to 30 lakh are only two-wheelers. There are also about 10 lakh floating vehicles which enter the city from neighbouring States. The vehicular population of the city is so high despite 25 lakh to 30 lakh people traveling by metro and an equal number of passengers commuting by the DTC buses every day.