Traffic dept runs special drive for safe commuting

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2011




Women may now feel safer while commuting by bus in the Capital, at least till next Friday. All major bus stops in the city would now have uniformed police man to provide security to the bus commuters especially women. Ahead of the Republic Day celebration, Delhi Traffic Police have started a unique drive on Tuesday to ensure security of bus commuters as well as lane driving by buses.

"We have started the special drive on Tuesday by deploying 1,000 police personnel from a lot of 6,000 new recruits who are undergoing trainings now at equal number of bus stops at Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, 15 no tolerance corridors and some other parts of the city," said a senior traffic police officer.

It is a two fold task — ensuring proper traffic management at bus stops and putting back the security environment — ahead of the Republic Day, said a senior officer of the traffic department.

"These uniformed men would man the bus stops daily between 12 noon and 8 pm. Their presence at bus stops would not only assure physical security to women travelers but also give them a psychological comfort," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

During the drive certain issues including plying of buses on designated lanes, behaviour of bus drivers and users, smooth boarding and de-boarding of the passengers and systematic movement of the buses would be looked into.

While the 1,000 cops will not be empowered to prosecute or penalise any vehicle, they would intimate the traffic police if there is any violation of traffic norms and Supreme Court guidelines.

The SC has laid down four restrictions violating which the vehicles can be impounded and slapped a fine of R2,000 or both. These include restricting vehicular speed at 40 kmph, movement of buses in their designated lanes, overtaking any other moving vehicle and picking up the passengers from other than bus stops.

Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-dept-runs-special-drive-for-safe-commuting/Article1-652035.aspx