'The cops are not doing enough'

Gridlock continues

Safety was to be the buzzword on the road. But violations continued, people paid scant respect to the rules and cops seemed indifferent during the Road Safety Week that was observed between January 1 and 7 in the City.

About 400 cases were booked for various violations, 54 transport and non transport vehicles were ceased and Rs eight lakh was collected as fine during the last one week.   
Organised by the transport department, the event was intended to sensitise people about the importance of following traffic rules.

But the annual event ended as another ritual as most motorists seemed oblivious to the rules and the powers chose not to remind them of the same.
Metrolife spoke to a couple of officials in the transport department and a cross-section of people and asked them if the safety week held any significance at all.

R V D’Souza, joint commissioner of the transport department says the Road Safety Week is organised throughout the country every year.

“It’s an effort to create an awareness among people about the importance of following traffic rules. The different rules are strictly enforced during the week. Defective vehicles, such as those with missing headlights and reflectors are caught and fined. Even those vehicles that ply without a permit are ceased,” says D’Souza.

He points out that awareness camps and talks on safety are held in different schools and colleges to sensitise the young.

He reasons that there has been a reduction in the number of accidents after the safety week was introduced.

Additional Commissioner of Police Praveen Sood reasons that observing a safety week doesn’t mean that people will follow all rules and all violations will stop.

“The traffic police holds programmes related to safety throughout the year in schools, colleges and for autorickshaw drivers. Our job is to sensitise people and get them to follow the rules,” he explains.  

While the authorities are hopeful that such programmes will bring about a marked difference and instill a sense of road discipline among the people, motorists think that Road Safety Week is just another formality and won’t make a difference.

Naveen, a techie says that he’s noticed that areas in which the VVIPs stay are well maintained and free of violations but the central part of the City is in a mess, “Cops only catch offenders and collect fines. But nothing is done to enforce the rules in a stricter way. Looks like the cops aren’t serious about enforcing the rules,” he says.

Fara J, an educationist says such a week reminds people to follow the rules and adhere to some discipline on the road. “There’s a cop at every junction and the checks have been stepped up but the police is not doing enough to enforce the rules,” she says. But Martina G’couto, a communication specialist thinks otherwise. “Such programmes help remind us of the rules and the cops makes sure we follow them. Something has to be done to improve the road sense of the people. People overtake from right and left. You don’t know when you’d be knocked down and run over,” she sums up.