Too few

The police headquarters has assured of filling up vacant posts in the traffic wing, giving cheer to thousands of commuters, who have to endure perpetual snarls and blockades.

Additional superintendent of police (SP) (traffic) Ashok Kumar Sinha said vacant posts in the traffic police wing are likely to be filled up by December. The cops, whenever asked the reason for traffic chaos, blamed it on a manpower shortage.

“There is a traffic problem in Patna and one basic reason is shortage of staff. However, state police headquarters have assured us that vacant positions will be filled up by December. Adequate number of personnel will boost police presence on the streets. The traffic problems can then be addressed,” the officer said on the sidelines of a conference titled Patna Traffic Management organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

Talking about the staff crunch, of the six posts of inspectors, only three are filled at present.

“There are three posts sanctioned for sergeant but all posts are empty. Of the total 53 posts of sub-inspectors, only 27 are filled up. Twenty-seven of the existing 33 posts of assistant sub-inspectors are filled up. When it comes to havildars, only 18 of 76 posts are filled up. Of 660 constable posts, only 249 are filled. The home guards position is healthy with 354 of 400 posts filled up,” the traffic SP said.

Sinha added: “At present, closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) have been installed at 13 locations to monitor traffic. Many signals are defunct and efforts are on to make them operational. Monitoring is being conducted and whenever one sees a snarl at a particular spot from the control room, instructions are sent to the police station concerned to clear the mess. One hundred CCTV cameras will be set up across the city to maintain smooth traffic flow and keep tabs on law and order. Autorickshaw drivers create a lot of trouble. They do not follow traffic norms. Parking problems, too, need to be looked into. Patna Municipal Corporation has approved paid parking facility in at least 52 spots and these will start operations by August-end.”