Cowboy hat gives us headache: Traffic cops

Task force to curb traffic mess?

Over Rs 2.3 lakh has been collected as revenue from fines in the West division aloneNearly a month after the city traffic police launched the lane discipline campaign across the city, strict enforcement of the rules continues with errant drivers not being spared. Over Rs 2.3 lakh has been collected as revenue from fines in the West division alone, where a majority of lane indiscipline offences have been noted.Despite the presence of road markings and signboards on the roads to remind drivers of various vehicles to stick to their lanes, the offences continue, and from the launch of the campaign on November 9 to December 9, a total of 23,840 cases have been booked by the West division traffic police. The fine amount for lane violation is Rs 100.The jurisdictional traffic police stations are RT Nagar, Hebbal, Yelahanka, Yeshwanthpur, Peenya, Chikkajala, and Devanahalli, and each division easily sees close to a hundred violations on a daily basis.The entire stretch of Bellary Road after Palace Grounds, and Tumkur Road are the two main roads involved in this exercise, with the left-most lane painted with road markings indicating it is to be used by two-wheelers, goods and passenger auto rickshaws, tempo travellers, and any other slow-moving vehicles. The maximum speed allowed on this lane is 40 kmph.The middle lane is meant for buses, trucks, and lorries, and the maximum speed is 60 kmph. The right lane is meant for private cars and taxis to ply at a maximum speed of 80 kmph, crossing which they will be waylaid and fined by the interceptor.“We have observed that drivers of luggage autos, taxis, and lorries are the most common offenders, driving most often on the right lane and holding up traffic movement. They also switch suddenly and dangerously without indication, which is perilous for other drivers and pedestrians on the road. Along with booking cases against offenders, we have also been promoting awareness about lane discipline by distributing pamphlets and installing sign boards,” deputy commissioner of police (traffic- west) S Girish told Mirror.While road markings have been painted on all of Tumkur Road, work on Bellary Road from Peenya onwards was temporarily halted due to the heavy rains witnessed by the city in the last few weeks. This work will resume shortly. As part of the initiative, the DCP has also permanently deputed a traffic policeman on Ballari Road en route to Kempegowda International Airport, as a public service announcer.Megaphone in hand, this constable – seated in a jeep known as the Sugama Sanchari Vahana – will travel on the stretch between Esteem Mall and Trumpet interchange and call out the registration numbers of vehicles found to be violating lane discipline.“Along with calling out their license plate number, the constable will also advise the driver to be mindful of the rules and follow them carefully. This will serve as a form of embarrassment for offenders, who will be forced to quickly change to the correct lane. So far, the response to this campaign has been positive. With more cooperation from the public, lane discipline will surely be promoted across the city,” Girish added.The current traffic police uniform requires personnel to don a heavy cowboy hat, but a majority of constables and lower-rung officers on field duty claim to have been suffering from headaches due to the weight of the hat. This point was brought up by additional commissioner of police (traffic) M A Saleem in his presentation to Home Minister G Parameshwara. “I brought up this point during the presentation and the Home Minister said it would definitely be considered. We are trying to get the hat replaced with a lighter beret,” Saleem told Mirror. Also being deliberated is changing the colour from white to light blue.The city traffic police along with BBMP, BMRCL, some important NGOs, and corporates may come together to form Bengaluru Traffic Management Task Force to counter the traffic congestion problem in the city. Home Minister G Parameshwara revealed the plan at the traffic headquarters on Infantry Road on Friday afternoon after interacting with top police brass including the state police chief for over three hours. “The task force will include corporates who will study traffic issues and recommend solutions. We will also hold meetings with associations pertaining to lorry owners to restrict their movement in the city during peak hours of the day,” Parameshwara said. Over the last five years, the traffic police have collected close to Rs 417 crores in fines, and nearly 50 per cent of this revenue would be given back to the department for them to maintain and upgrade their infrastructure, he said. He also maintained that 100 more traffic cameras would be installed in addition to the existing 179 at crucial junctions. “There are currently 58.5 lakh vehicles on the city roads, of which nearly 33 lakh are two-wheelers. Every year, the vehicular population increases by at least 5 lakh. Over 6,000 buses ply on a daily basis, but the need of the hour is carpooling. So far, 36,000 vehicles and nearly 45,000 people have already tied up with the traffic police for this initiative. We hope this number increases to 50,000 vehicles by next year,” Parameshwara added.