Move to regulate traffic suffers setback

Initiative suspended due to Assembly elections: DCP

In less than a month after the city police launched the initiative to regulate traffic in a phased manner under the ‘Vaaram Oru Veedhi’ (One Street One Week), the roads where the project was implemented seem to have slid back to how they were earlier.

On March 24, the police started the effort to put an end to traffic violations on more than 50 roads by taking one step at a time. Both the East and West sub-division traffic police started focusing on one road a week in both the jurisdictions (on a Thursday to Wednesday cycle) by deploying additional manpower.

East sub-division police regulated parking violations and removed encroachments on the Government Arts College Road and were partly successful in regulating traffic by ending stray parking of buses, autorickshaws and other vehicles on State Bank Road near the Railway Station and the Collectorate.

Similarly the West sub-division police regulated traffic on the Karuppanna Gowder Street, Vysial Street and Raja Street.

At some roads the police even placed barricades and coordinated with the corporation to repair damages on drains and carry out other works to make optimum use of motorable space.

As part of the initiative, around 10 traffic police personnel were deputed at the streets in focus from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. On completion of the week-long drive on a road, fewer policemen were deployed to ensure sustenance of the initiative.

But over the last two weeks, the initiative suffered a setback and violations are back to square one.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R. Sivakumar said that the initiative was suspended for the Assembly elections.

“The drive was successful and we will resume it by the end of May after declaration of results,” he said.

He said the drive has been paused as they are unable to dedicate manpower for the initiative.

“With visits and campaigns by political leaders and candidates and filing of nomination papers going on in full swing, we have to dedicate more strength for regulating traffic, and ensure that normalcy is not disturbed,” he said. Dr. Sivakumar added that they are trying to involve home guards for better implementation of the initiative.

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