Doon police get tough with traffic rule violators

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 28

The rising number of traffic rule violations has made the city police go in for tough measures against offenders. Speeding, overtaking from the left side, crossing the yellow line, wrong parking, using cellphone while at the wheel and drunken driving is being checked daily.

More than 10 policemen from the Dalanwala police station today carried out a checking drive at Survey Chowk, EC road and Dwarka store and issued challans to vehicle owners found guilty of traffic violations.

They issued pink slips to vehicle owners for wrong parking. Two-wheelers and four-wheelers parked on the roadside on the EC Road were towed away.

On the other hand, the police also faced the wrath of members of the business community, institution owners and residents, whose vehicles were towed away. They created a ruckus and raised slogans against the police.

Dalanwala circle officer Pramod Kumar and SHO Anil Joshi reached the spot. The protesters pacified only after the officials gave them an assurance that vehicles parked inside the white line would not be challaned.

BJP Mahanagar president Neelam Sehgal said the police should chalk out an effective plan to overcome traffic congestion on arterial roads instead of issuing challans to residents.

Saket Ahuja, owner of the sub-office of a private telecommunication company, alleged the police issued challans to even those who had parked their vehicles at the designated place.

Deepak Anand, a resident of the EC Road, said the police should issue a warning before towing away any vehicle.

Sunil Sharma, a BJP activist, said, “I went to a telecommunication sub-office today to pay my cellphone bill. I had parked my two-wheeler inside the white line. However, the police still issued me a challan. The police should not challan vehicles parked inside the white line.”

Apolice official said overtaking from the left side, violating one-way traffic rule, overloading of motorbikes, wrong parking and using cellphone while at the wheel had been found to be the cause of most of the accidents.

“Over half the driving licence holders neither know road signs nor traffic rules. Many offenders, mostly youth, when booked, plead that they are unaware of the rule. Many do not even know what a zebra crossing is,” he said.