Now, night riders to be penalised for traffic violations

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

If you intend to violate traffic rules at night thinking there will be no presence of the traffic police on roads, then beware! The Goa police have decided to deploy traffic police at night to penalise drivers and two-wheeler riders found violating traffic rules.

“People have got this impression that traffic rules are to be followed during the day and not at night and that we don’t carry out drives (against traffic violations) during night time. This impression, I want to change,” said Director

General of Police (DGP) Dr Muktesh Chander.

According to Dr Chander, incidents of traffic violations can be observed at night. As such, it has been decided to deploy traffic police also at night and penalise those who violate traffic rules.

“Nobody should get this impression that traffic police is not deployed in the night and that you can overspeed or jump red light at night,” Dr Chander said.

“We have been conducting special drives at night including the drive against drunk driving which goes on even till 2 am,” said Dr Chander adding that such drives will continue. “I also want to make it very clear that traffic rules are to be followed by everyone including tourists. There is a tendency among some tourists including foreign nationals to not obey the traffic rules. A number of foreign tourists have died in road accidents in Goa. We need to strictly implement traffic rules without causing harassment to them,” said Dr Chander.

He said, “With our sustained efforts on road safety, education, prosecution and with various other measures taken, there has been an over 23 per cent decline in deaths due to traffic accidents. But I sincerely believe that if all stakeholders put in their best, then we may even achieve better results.” “For the first time in the last several years, we have seen a decline in deaths due to traffic accidents and I do not want this decline to be lost,” the DGP said.

Dr Chander also stressed on wearing of a helmet by the two-wheeler riders and even by the pillion riders. “There is a strong need to strictly implement the helmet rule even for the pillion riders. A pillion rider’s head is no different than the head of the rider and in case of accidents both are equally vulnerable. My request to pillion riders is they also should use a good quality helmet,” said Dr Chander.