Policemen flout rules at traffic awareness rally

Instead of creating awareness during ongoing Traffic Week among public, policemen are performing “stunts’ and themselves not following rules. Latching onto police vehicles without registration numbers they brandished batons while observing Traffic Awareness Week.
The ongoing Traffic Awareness Week, which was scheduled to start on January 10, started yesterday due to the state mourning of seven days after the death of the Chief Minister. The Traffic Police Department organised a cycle rally from Jammu University to Gandhi Nagar and back to the varsity, in which more than 200 riders, including police officials, their family members, general public and children took part.
Ironically, the Traffic Police Department, which was organising the rally to spread traffic awareness among people was itself wasn’t following any rule. A police Gypsy was spotted at the end of the cycle rally, which has to stop the regular traffic from entering in the rally. Three traffic policemen were hanging out on the back of the Gypsy with long canes in hands, which they were using to prevent the regular traffic from entering the rally by putting their own life in risk.
This was not the only violation, the same Gypsy was without number — which itself is a serious crime. But the Traffic Police Department, which is allegedly given targets by the higher authorities to collect revenue through challans of traffic rules violators, does not follow the rules and regulations.
The Traffic Police Department has fined two lakh traffic violators and collected an amount of Rs 3.5 crore in 2015 and the practice is on for this year as well.
The main motive of the Traffic Awareness Week seems to be collecting the fine amount only as the traffic policemen who stop traffic violators at different check posts only challan the violators and then let them go doing the same violations.
“A traffic policemen stops a two-wheeler rider not wearing helmet, challans him for Rs 100 and let him go without helmet and no other policeman will fine him for the full day as he can show the challan slip,” said Dheeraj Kesar, a commuter.
“Same is the case with people indulging in triple riding on two-wheelers. A policeman challans them and let them all go on the same bike. What kind of awareness is this? It look as if they are deputed on road to collect money only and makes a full-day pass for the traffic violator to roam in the city violating rules,” he added.
Mohan Lal, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Traffic, Jammu, has accepted that there are some lapses. “But we are on the job!” said the SSP.
“I will check and ensure that all the vehicles in the department have number plates fitted. As far as the traffic awareness is concerned all the officers are directed to educate the people about traffic rules,” he said.