What is the best way to get erring motorists — the ones driving drunk in particular — to choose safety over thrill? Make them learn basic rules, seems to be the mantra of the city’s traffic police.
The traffic department is making use of its new training parks at Goshamahal and Rasoolpura, Begumpet to impart ‘counselling’ sessions to motorists caught for drink-driving. The vehicles of those caught are seized and they are asked to report at one of the two institutes on the next working day. They are then shown videos and powerpoint presentations on the perils of drink-driving and of not following traffic rules.
After the session, the motorists are put through a drill. They are made to ride bicycles and asked to follow road rules at the parks, which are simulations of a typical road — replete with traffic-lights, road markings and other paraphernalia. Once the drill is over, they are produced before a city court.
“The problem with most motorists is that they do not know basic traffic rules, even though they have a driving licence. Our endeavour is to create awareness about rules and importance of following it,” a police official said.
Although the park is currently being utilised to train drink-drivers, other violators would be included soon, he said. Incidentally, a similar traffic training park at the Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Public Gardens for inculcating traffic sense among children is in disuse.
