Heavy vehicles ferry devotees in violation of norms, risking lives in Amritsar

As the Hola Mohalla celebrations have started in the state, rampant violations of the traffic norms can be witnessed in the city.

Private goods carriers and bus operators are ferrying passengers to Anandpur Sahib while cocking a snook at traffic rules. Ironically, the Punjab Police remain a mute spectator to all such violations.

These vehicles are carrying devotees, including children, women and elderly, by endangering their lives. The violations could be spotted near the Inter-State Bus Terminal and other spots on bypass roads and highways. The goods carrier vehicles, including trucks and tractor-trailers, fix wooden planks for doubling the capacity of the passengers. The bus operators also allow passengers on roofs of the vehicles at half the ticket price.

Ironically, the violations go on while the local police, including traffic officials and highway patrol teams, turn a blind eye towards the issue.

As per the Motor Vehicle Act norms, any kind of modification of the vehicle before using it on the road is illegal and risky. It also warns that the those carrying load more than the prescribed capacity of vehicles could be dangerous not only to the people travelling in such vehicles but also for other commuters.

Surjit Kumar, a resident of a locality near the bus stand, said nobody was bothered about their lives. Neither devotees who were using such modes of transportation nor transporters. What to say about the traffic police, he quipped.

Till the authorities enforce the traffic norms in letter and in spirit, there is no solution to the problem. It appears that they were awaiting mishaps to occur before taking measures.

Meanwhile, the SSP, Amritsar Rural, Maninder Singh, has issued instructions to officials to challan traffic violators, especially those who had illegally modified their vehicles.

He said officials were also told to take strict action against motorcycles with modified silencers.