CP highlights 5% reduction in accidents in HC affidavit

Nagpur: Commissioner of police (CP) Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay claimed there was a 5% decrease in number of accidents last year in comparison to 2017. While lauding the initiatives of the traffic department, he said they had issued over 13,430 more challans last year as against 2017.
The statement came in an affidavit before the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court, which was hearing a suo motu PIL where Shreerang Bhandarkar was appointed as amicus curiae. The affidavit was filed after the HC flayed the top cop for dereliction of duties by traffic cops, who are often seen standing at the side of squares, instead of regulating traffic.

Quoting divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar’s affidavit, TOI had on Thursday reported the steps taken by the CP and other departments to regulate traffic, including action taken against 13 cops for dereliction of duties.

While stressing on the fewer accidents due to traffic rule enforcement and awareness programmes, Upadhyay mentioned that 1,263 accidents took place in 2017, which number reduced to 1,193 in 2018. The traffic department also issued over 3.06 lakh challans in 2017 to violators, which jumped to over 3.19 lakh in 2018.

After HC strictures on December 12, the CP had immediately convened a meeting of all concerned traffic officers at his office and passed on a slew of directives, including strict compliance with HC directives and creating awareness about traffic rules. Cops were told to remain present at major junctions during peak hours, and take action against all vehicles — private or public — jumping signals.

They were strictly warned against using mobiles unnecessarily or standing at corners, and told to remain present at the centre of squares to manage traffic.

Upadhyay also wrote to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to paint a circle at each square so that the constable could stand there to regulate traffic till regular booths are installed at elevated levels. NMC was also requested to paint zebra crossing, stop lines, and display parking and no-parking zones at all junctions.

Even the DCP (traffic) issued letters to NMC’s health officer and cops to take action against owners of cattle causing congestion. He dispatched letters to police motor transport branch, MSRTC, NMC and MPSRTC to instruct their drivers to obey traffic rules and conduct awareness programmes. He called for action against school buses for not plying as per prescribed statutory norms.

The DCP took disciplinary action against seven constables found absent from LIC, Variety, Jhansi Rani, and other squares on December 20. Next day, four more constables were hauled up for dereliction of duties at Tukadoji Putala, Baidyanath and Hotel Pride squares. Additionally, show cause notices were issued to three female employees for not being present on their designated squares, and they were told to explain why their increment shouldn’t be stopped.