Community involvement in traffic management is a major focus area for M. Abdulla Saleem, who took charge as the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Security) of the city last week.
Revival of Local Traffic Management Advisory Committees and Local Area Traffic Management Plans are the two tools he plans to deploy to ensure community participation in traffic management. “Tackling traffic issues at the micro-level helps smoothen the traffic flow across the city,” he told The Hindu .
His priorities? “It's been just three days since I have taken charge: I need some time to study the traffic scenario,” said Mr. Saleem.
Having said that, this 1993 batch IPS officer, who has served as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-East), Bangalore, between July 2003 and April 2007, is not new to our chaotic traffic. He has had a stint as Director (Security and Vigilance) with the KSRTC and has a doctorate in urban traffic management from Bangalore University.
Every traffic police station in the city has advisory committees comprising local residents. Suggestions from them on traffic planning and management would help frame local traffic management plans, Mr. Saleem said. He had implemented these measures in Indiranagar and adjoining areas during his tenure as DCP (Traffic-East), which were successful to some extent.
No penalty targets
Strict regulation of traffic and proper enforcement of rules will be given priority. Asked about complaints of policemen absent at junctions but positioning themselves after traffic signals looking to fine road users, Mr. Saleem said the focus would be on violation-based rather than statistics-based penalty. The traffic police will not be given any target to file cases or collect penalty, he added.
He said use of information technology, which is being deployed extensively for traffic regulation, would be stepped up. More surveillance cameras at traffic junctions will be installed to supplement the existing 175.
Regulation of autos
Stating that autorickshaws are one of the important means of public transport in the city, Mr. Saleem said he would meet autorickshaw unions to educate the drivers on issues of public concern.
The display board inside autorickshaws providing complete information about the driver would be made compulsory. This concept was introduced by him earlier to pre-empt drivers' unprofessionalism.
