Finding it difficult to handle the enforcement of the transport system in the city well in the absence of any control over the Delhi Traffic Police, the Delhi Government has urged the Centre to expedite its approval of the Delhi Urban Mass Transit Authority (DUMTA) which would place the traffic police under it and thus provide more hands to govern the traffic and transportation issues of the Capital.
Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami is learnt to have noted in the letter that there are just about 125 personnel in the enforcement wing of the Transport Department of the Delhi Government, while the Delhi Traffic Police has the requisite infrastructure to meet the enforcement needs of both traffic and transport in the city.Mr. Goswami had in the letter sent to Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde a week ago stated that while the Traffic Police was the main agency for enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Act but it hardly ever passed any information to the Transport Department despite enforcing provisions on its behalf.
Three years agothe then Union Home Minister had written to the Delhi Government to constitute an authority for integrated handling of transport related issues in accordance to which the Council of Ministers had cleared a draft of the Delhi Urban Mass Transit Authority.
The Authority was meant to be a comprehensive unit for planning, development, operation, management and regulation of mass transit facilities under a unified structure. It was meant to provide accessible, economic, efficient, reliable, safe and sustainable public transport in Delhi.Mr. Goswami said by suggesting the constitution of DUMTA, an attempt was made by the Delhi Government to combine planning, provisioning and regulatory functions. He said the move was aimed at bringing land use and planning of areas meant for public transport under a single agency.
It was to be an authority on the lines of the Land Transport Authority of Singapore or similar mass transit authorities that exist in London and New York, the Minister said.
Further, he said, DUMTA was supposed to be an empowered and apex multi-member representative body headed by the Chief Minister as chairperson with several members from various organisations including one from Delhi Traffic Police for better operation, efficiency and coordination.
