For an ordinary citizen, increasing density of vehicles means heightened visible manning through infrastructure or personnel. But not for the Hyderabad Traffic Police, who believe doing the opposite will help in better traffic management. In the coming months, the department is planning a number of initiatives aimed at cutting down on traffic police officers on field as well as doing away with junctions and traffic signals.
To start with, an experimental project aimed at lowering the traffic manpower on field is on the anvil. At various important locations, the traffic personnel will not be visible and the public will be greeted with a signage conveying the same.
However, keeping a tab on the traffic movement and violations will be cameras as well as traffic personnel stationed at a camouflaged but strategic location. Whenever, there is a violation the offenders will be caught at the next traffic point and counselled as well as fined. The department hopes that the initiative will help in inculcating a sense of discipline in road users even without the physical presence of traffic police.
The department is also looking at closing unnecessary junctions and traffic signals for smoother flow of traffic. In the last one year, more than 50 junctions and two traffic signals have been closed in Hyderabad limits.
“At some places in city, there is a smoother flow of traffic after junctions and traffic signals were removed. SR Nagar, Erramanzil to Miyapur stetch, Maithrivanam in Ameerpet and Tolichowki are some of the examples where the traffic problems have decreased,” said Jitender, Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Hyderabad.
“At Rasoolpura in Begumpet, closing the junction did not work well to address the problem. That is why we are closely studying important points in the city before we decide to close the junctions. It is a dynamic process and will continue.”
He also informed that in the last one year, the traffic personnel have been asked to concentrate more on regulating traffic rather than implementation of rules.
