No ‘interception’ of traffic violators during peak hours

Physical interception of traffic rule violators will be thing of the past during pek hours. Here is a file picture of a Traffic Constable intercepting vehicles for clearing traffic that come crawling infront of Jalagam Vengal Rao Park in Hyderabad. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

Motorists in city are to be relieved from interception by traffic police for imposition of fines or checking documents - at least during peak hours .

Taking traffic policing to the next level, Hyderabad police top brass decided not to focus on enforcement of rules by stopping motorists and scribbling fine amounts or insisting for vehicle papers during morning and evening peak hours of traffic.

The new initiative was a consequence of persistent criticism from different quarters over traffic police stopping vehicle drivers while the latter are eager to reach their work places or returning homes exhausted.

As a first step, 9 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. will be considered as morning and evening peak hours of traffic . “Motorists would not be disturbed by traffic police during these hours. Even special teams would be formed to identify traffic police checking motorists during these timings,” Hyderabad Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy said in an exclusive chat.

To ensure the decision was fully complied with, the traffic police were asked even to deposit the challan books and handheld Programmable Digital Assistants (PDAs) at the traffic police station concerned. They should enter timings of depositing them and later taking out in a diary.

However, traffic police would continue to click pictures of motorists violating rules to ensure that they are challaned. “Violations like parking haphazardly, causing traffic congestions or inconvenience to others, however, would be checked during peak hours of traffic as well,” field officers said.

Mr. Reddy said non-contact enforcement of traffic rules was the objective in the long run. “Efforts were on to do away with the system of challan books and physically stopping motorists and scribbling fine amounts,” the Commissioner said. People breaching rules would get fines through post, based on photographic evidence.

“Arguments and confrontations with the public has come down and our image among people too is on the rise due to the new initiative,” said Punjagutta traffic ACP T. Padmanabha Reddy.