Vehicular movement normal, traffic cops put back on duty

Thiruvananthapuram: With the city police lifting odd/even regulation on private motor vehicles on Wednesday, the 220-strong contingent of traffic cops who were engaged in lockdown enforcement duty for the past 40-odd days have been put on traffic duty again.
City police authorities said the department was prepared even before the chief minister announced the lifting of odd/even restrictions during his routine media briefing on Tuesday evening.
“The third phase of lockdown commenced on Monday. On the same day, our officers were called back for traffic duty and they reported for duty on Tuesday,” said district police chief (city) IG Balramkumar Upadhyay. Vehicular movement was smooth on all roads and no major accidents were reported anywhere, Upadhyay said.
“Since educational institutions, malls and theatres are remaining closed, there was no exponential rise in the number of vehicles on roads and hence our cops were able to handle the traffic smoothly,” he added.
He said in a few days, the crime wing of the city police would also become operational, restarting investigations of existing cases. However, all other forces that are assisting the city police on lockdown enforcement such as the armed police battalion and vigilance and anti-corruption bureau officers will continue to assist the city police as there are much preparations involved in enforcing home quarantine of NRKs who would be returning soon. Assistant commissioner (city traffic, south) M K Zulfiquer said the police had switched on traffic signal lights at major junctions on Saturday. By Monday, all traffic lights were turned on.
“When the odd/even plan was being enforced, the traffic signal lights were not operational. We were using only blinkers as warning lights,’’ the assistant commissioner said. By the end of the second phase of lockdown, we turned on the signal lights to warn the motorists that things were going back to normal and they need to be careful at junctions, he added. “Though the traffic was minimal during the first two phases of the lockdown, several minor crashes were reported due to reckless driving. We wanted the drivers/riders to fall in line before restrictions were lifted,” Zulfiquer said.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the police opened two more roads for vehicular traffic as entry/exit points of the city. They are at Mankattukadavu under Poojapura police station limit and Vellaikkadavu under Vattiyoorkavu police station limit. Thus, the total number of entry/exit points of the city have become eight.
More roads will be opened in the coming days. The road at Pappanamcode will be opened on Thursday. On Friday, the road at East Mukkola under Mannanthala station limits will be opened. Kachani road under Vattiyoorkavu station limits will be opened on Saturday and roads at Chenkottukonam and St Andrews under Kazhakootam station limits will be opened on Monday, the police have decided.