A police constable stands guard on Mahatma Gandhi Setu. Picture by Sachin

Patna, July 1: Name tag on uniform, a sign of pride for most police personnel, could very well land the law enforcers in trouble in case they tried to use it for bribery.

As many as 240 constables, presently posted in the Mahatma Gandhi Setu area, have been instructed to don their name tags, which would enable heavy vehicle drivers to identify them by name and not by appearance if they demand bribe for allowing them to ply on the bridge.

With the New Patna Bypass road and Mahatma Gandhi Setu witnessing a continuous spate of clogging and slow traffic movement, the constables manning the two areas have been accused of demanding money from the bus and truck drivers.

These constables, all new recruits, are not in the habit of putting on their name tags which makes it impossible for drivers to recognise them if they decide to complain the matter to the senior policemen.

“This is a matter of concern and there have been quite a few complaints about these men demanding money from the drivers of heavy vehicles. If these men do not don their name tags, the drivers cannot recognise them. It is quite difficult for a senior police officer to zero in on a constable with the complainant only providing a description about the person’s face or height. The name tags will solve the problem,” Patna city superintendent of police Shivdeep Lande told The Telegraph.

The officer added that the name tags will help drivers identify the constables by name and inform a senior police officer who can immediately act upon the complaint.

In addition, directions have also been given to set up a board at the Zero Mile area and at Mahatma Gandhi Setu, with the contact details of some senior police officers.

“The two boards will have the contact numbers of the city SP and the deputy superintendents (DSPs) posted at the area. The boards will be placed in such a way that they are clearly visible to all. People in need can dial the number and the police would be ready to help,” the senior officer said.

Meanwhile, condition at Zero Mile and at the 5.575-km-long bridge has further deteriorated, the police said.

“The left plank of the road at Zero Mile area had developed a huge ditch because of constant movement of trucks. This resulted in the traffic movement getting slower. Also, the bridge has developed five to six ditches near pillar number 46. The traffic movement has got very slow and the vehicles have to wait in queue for a long time. The rain has made matters worse. The police have written to the road construction department to immediately repair these ditches so the drivers don’t face problems,” the officer said.

Altogether, six inspectors and three DSPs have been posted along the bridge and the New Patna Bypass road along with constables to control the traffic mess.

“The inspectors and the DSPs have been given a target to fine at least 25 vehicles each (in a month). One of the main reasons for the traffic problem is overtaking by heavy vehicles. This further worsens the situation,” the SP added.

Earlier, the entire stretch of around 45km, right from Fatuha till Mahatma Gandhi Setu, had been declared as a “no overtaking” zone and the offenders were fined maximum penalty.