Traffic cops gear up for wedding rush on roads

Thursday, Nov 25, 2010




The Delhi Traffic Police have pulled up their socks to keep the city roads free from traffic chaos during the approaching wedding season. The traffic police have decided to crack down on everything — from drunk driving to parking violation — during the wedding season. "The wedding season is troublesome, but we will make proper arrangements to ensure that someone's baraat (marriage procession) doesn't throw a spanner in the traffic flow," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

The traffic police will not only deploy more officers on duty at areas prone to congestion, but will also make sure that they're around for longer by adding more hours to their duty timing.

The Capital is slated to witness more than 3,500 weddings till December 15. Around 600 official wedding venues like parks, community halls and baraat ghars in Delhi have been booked till date.

"An extra shift — from 8 pm to 1 am — will be added to the duty roster of officers deployed, especially in areas like Chhatarpur, which witness maximum congestion. The presence of the chase-and-challan squad will also be strengthened in these areas," Garg said.

Traffic officers deployed at areas like the GT Karnal Road, Dwarka Bypass, Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden and the Rohtak Road among others have been specifically instructed to keep an eye on parking violation and drunken driving.

"We will crack down hard on drunken driving to ensure that people behave better on the roads. Instead of fining them on the spot, we have been told to confiscate their licences. Vehicles found improperly parked will be towed away," said a senior traffic police officer.

The traffic police are also working in tandem with the local police at various locations to penalise venue owners found abetting to improper parking of vehicles.

"We have already cancelled the licence of a popular farmhouse owner in south Delhi for allowing his guests to park wherever they liked during a wedding function recently. More people will be dealt with the same treatment if found flouting any norm," Garg added.

Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-cops-gear-up-for-wedding-rush-on-roads/Article1-630633.aspx