Bringing about drastic change in traffic control system of the Transport Department should be carried along two lines. One is to bring about temporary changes and modifications that would serve the purpose for the time being. The other is of overhauling the entire structure to be replaced by one that is oriented along modern lines of traffic and traffic control. The second option is a distant cry at present because it is closely linked to the widening of roads, building flyovers, sub-ways, parking slots, functional traffic electronic signals and efficient monitoring and checking system. That seems to be a programme which might take at least a century. Therefore, we have to tone up temporary modifications in the rules and in the practice of traffic control.
Traffic Department has been taking shelter behind shortage of manpower for its aberrations in performing efficiently. Now that the CM has ordered moving of 600 SPOs to the Traffic Wing, and the DG Police has even issued orders to that effect, the Traffic Department should have no complain of shortage of manpower now. That sets the controversy about manpower at rest.
With 600 SPOs joining the Traffic Wing, it should be possible for the Traffic Department to add to the number of traffic functionaries posted to towns and villages in the State. It is becoming increasingly important that traffic is regulated in towns and villages because of reports of increasing wrong traffic activities taking place there. For example overloading, rash overtaking, miss-behaviour with passengers and other faults are creeping into district level traffic which needs to be curbed.
Again, the traffic police have developed a strange culture in which the officials on duty, before their day of duty begins, are given a target of traffic violation cases they are required to register in a day. Traffic functionaries hide themselves along the road and then suddenly appear from nowhere to stop a vehicle and subject it to test. They challan the drivers for parking vehicles along the wrong side. Most of the challans that are made during one day are for wrong parking. The question is has the traffic department provided parking lots at different places in the city where there is brisk business activity and people come very often. If there are adequate numbers of parking places in the city at sensitive points, the traffic police would be justified in catching the defaulters for parking on the wrong side and making him pay the penalty. There are long stretches of streets where there is no provision for parking while people would like to do some marketing. Wrong parking is inevitable.
We reiterate that even small steps aimed at improving traffic conditions in the State are welcome and these have to be taken up seriously. Widening of roads is not going to happen overnight and we cannot wait indefinitely. Also the question of replacing the existing wretched mini buses plying in the two capital cities by bigger, more comfortable and low floor modern buses also appears a distant dream given the monopolizing of city traffic and unseen nexus between the owners of mini buses and the traffic police.
Follow our WhatsApp channel