Traffic police have decided to implement helmet related rules for two-wheeler riders across the city from Monday morning. The department is in mood to spare no one, not even a police official riding a bike without helmet in order to set a precedent for commoners.
Divulging the plans of a whole lot of activities on roads to maintain and manage otherwise miserable traffic situations, city Traffic SP Sanjay Ranjan Singh said that a ‘Helmet Week’ would kick off from Monday morning.
He also vowed that no special treatment would be provided to anyone violating traffic rules in the city and the one stepping out on the road on bike needed to wear a helmet. Singh said that wearing a helmet was also important because in case of accidental death, the one without helmet was not entitled to any kind of accidental insurance.
“Our basic objective and motto is to save lives, which is more precious than anything else. As par data available at the moment, there were 5,711 accidents in the city in 2012, resulting in a frightening death data of 2,818 persons. A total of 1,785 persons were left seriously injured in those accidents. We need to bring it at zero sooner than later,” added Singh.
The city, which is already burdened with over 2.6 lakh registered vehicles on the road as of now, has been getting more than 65,000 new vehicles registered every year since 2012-13.
Singh said that a number of plans were there on papers to improve city traffic situation, which were being brought into action one after other. “We are going to provide e-Challan facility from October 2. We are roping in Traffic Friends as we call them, to voluntarily manage traffic whenever and wherever there emerges a traffic jam situation. They are also providing first aid kits to traffic policemen at traffic intersections. We have got some 50 applications for Traffic Mitra,” Singh claimed.
The traffic police are also in the processes of installing Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) Cameras at important junctures. Singh said that the department has spoken to businessmen and shopkeepers at main intersections with CCTV already installed in their shops to direct the lens of at least one camera toward traffic booth nearby, so that movements of traffic men and their dealings with traffic violators could come under scanner.
“Though we are running short of breath analyzers and are in process to acquire in sufficient numbers soon, we are going to all five such instruments with us at the moment to install at important intersections to keep tab on drunken drivers. We have started following No Entry timings strictly, and at least five trucks violating these timings as recently as Saturday have been facing heat with FIR lodged against them,” said Singh.