Bizman turns lensman to make city roads safer

Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 2

Close to 11,000 pictures of traffic violations in the city clicked and shared with the Chandigarh Traffic Police in the past 16 months seems quite a number. However, what is even more interesting is that these were clicked by a single person, a Sector 30 resident who is on a crusade to make city roads safer.

Watching motorists violate traffic rules since his younger days always worried Baldev Singh, a businessman, who was born and brought up in the city. “I always felt reckless driving or driving a two-wheeler without a helmet can have serious repercussions. While driving across the city, I used to stop at the green light to ensure nobody jumps the red light, that can lead to an accident,” he said.

Baldev Singh, whose aim is to make sure that no lives are lost in road accidents, came to know about the the WhatsApp number of the Chandigarh Traffic Police in January 2017 on which pictures of people violating traffic rules could be sent.

“I started clicking pictures of traffic violations in the city and started sharing it with the traffic police. Soon, I got encouragement from the police and in 16 months, I clicked close to 11,000 pictures of motorists violating traffic norms,” he said.

For Baldev Singh, sharing pictures of traffic violations with the traffic police is just a part of his crusade against traffic violations. He also educates the youth whenever he comes across them while they are driving rashly. “I sometimes stop youths who are not wearing helmets while riding a two-wheeler and educate them about the importance of wearing a helmet,” he said.

Baldev Singh also clicks pictures of traffic lights which are either non-functional or not working properly. He then shares the pictures with the police so that the fault can be fixed at the earliest.

Baldev Singh was awarded a commendation certificate and Rs 5,000 by the Police Department at a function last week.

Residents can send traffic violation pictures, along with the time, date and location, on the WhatsApp number of the traffic police. They can also send pictures through other mediums, including Facebook and Twitter.