Traffic rules...What's that?

Traffic booths are spreading the word on the road safety week, which went under way in the city on Sunday, but violations are the order of the day.

Jaywalkers compete with autorickshaw drivers taking more passengers than allowed and girls give helmets a miss for fashion's sake. Drivers, too, cock a snook at the rules and merrily speak on their cellphones. A few such violators were asked what moves them to disobey the rules put in place for their own safety and most of them pointed at the authorities' inability to actually implement the regulations.

Senior police officers, however, maintained they were taking care of all the traffic rules. Shambhavi Singh of The Telegraph checks the ground reality

Jaywalking

What the rulebook says: Under police act, a violator is fined Rs 100.Why it is being violated:This road safety week, the traffic police are busy asking residents to use zebra crossings while walking to the otherend of the road but even if pedestrians try to do so, they are in a fix. The white stripes they are supposed to use while crossing roads are nowhereto be found. Often, vehicles are parked where the zebra crossings are supposed tobe or the path is blocked by metal dividers.'Where is it? Just show meone and I would follow what these men in uniform are preaching,' said 27-year-old bank employee Gaurav atDakbungalow roundabout.The zebra crossing at the roundabout is close to invisible.Official view: 'We are trying hard to make people aware about the traffic rules. Butnon-maintenance of the traffic signs and the zebra crossings are proving to be hurdles in our way. The zebra crossings are close to invisible, cat's eye is missing - these things makeit tough for us. An application has been forwarded to theroad construction department, asking the officials concerned to properly maintain the traffic signs,' said trafficsuperintendent of police(SP) Prantosh Kumar Das.An officer in the rank of assistant sub-inspector,manning a traffic booth nearthe Dakbungalow roundabout, said: 'It is tough to askpedestrians to use the zebra crossings. The reason issimple. The stripes havebecome faint with time andthe bosses have not yet taken any initiative to repaint them.'Baban Ram, engineer-in-chief, road construction department, refused to answer whenhis attention was drawntowards the problem. Hedisconnected the call afterlistening to the query.

Overloading in autos

What the rulebook says:Passengers are not supposed to sit next to the driver. If the driver is found violating the rule, a fine of Rs 100 is imposed under Motor Vehicles Act.Why is it being violated:An autorickshaw spotted on the busy Bailey Road on Monday had three persons,excluding the driver, on front seat. Even though the vehicle crossed several traffic booths, the violation went unnoticed by the traffic cops.A.K. Singh, a retired bank employee, said: 'It is veryuncomfortable travelling inan auto seated next to thedriver but there are littleoptions. Had the cops been strict, we would not have been forced to sit on thefront seat. Generally, theautorickshaw drivers ask the men to sit in the front and the women in the back.'Ramanand, an autorickshaw driver, said: 'We are here to earn. So, more number ofpassengers means moreincome in a trip. So far asthe rules are concerned, everybody is breaking them. Why are you pointing afinger at me?'Official view: 'We imposefine on drivers taking morepassengers than allowed,'said traffic SP Das.

 

Talking on phone

What the rulebook says: Penalty of Rs 1,000 under Motor Vehicles Act.Why is it being violated: Amit Praveen,a 34-year-old businessman, said: 'I oftentalk over the phone while driving and no one has fined me or any acquaintance of minetill now. Gandhigiri and offering roses(referring to a traffic safety awarenessprogramme of the police aimed atdisciplining road rule violators) won'tchange anything. The traffic police willhave to enforce these rules and check whether the rules are being followed or not.'Official view: 'People talking on phones while driving four-wheelers are regularly fined. But it is quite difficult to recognise someone talking on the phone while riding two-wheelers. They usually hide the phone under the helmet,' said traffic SP Das.

 

Triple riding

What the rulebook says: Only the rider andthe pillion are allowed on a lightweight vehicle.Violators are fined Rs 100 under MotorVehicles Act.Why is it being violated: Triple riding iscommon in areas, including Boring Road,Patliputra, Kurji, Danapur and Khagaul, where deployment of constables is less or negligible.'After completing our classes, we generallycome home, three on each bike, or stop for snacks. I have never been fined for it. Traffic cops have warned us twice or thrice, that's all,' said Shanu Vats, a resident of Bailey Road.Official view: 'We are quite strict about triple riding. We impose fine on thoseviolating rules,' said Das.

 

Riding without helmets

What the rulebook says: Violator to be fined Rs 100 under Motor Vehicles Act.Why is it being violated: Girls are one of the prime violators for the fear of messing up their hair. 'It takes us aroundhalf-an-hour to perfect our hairstyle. Wearing helmet just messes it up. I generally cover my face with a dupatta or a stole so that the cops don't see me. They hardly fine us,'said Krithika, a resident of Boring Road.Official view: 'Girls don't wear helmets and if you ask them to do so, they have a big list of excuses. We have fined them earlier but they still don't follow the rules,' said a trafficinspector at Bailey Road.SP Das added: 'You would find very few riders withouthelmets. We are quite strict about this.'

 

Final word

'Since this is a safety week, we are first makingthe people aware. Those found violating the rules repetitively are fined. We collect over Rs 25 lakheach as fine but the department has insufficientconstables. In 2005, the department asked forrecruitment of 660 constables, which has not yetbeen done. We have only 200 traffic constables,while we need 1,000 at a minimum for smoothmaintenance,' said the traffic SP.

 

Hope ahead

Commuters can breathe a sigh of relief soon as the manual traffic system would be done awaywithin two months.'We are coming up with advanced and adaptivetraffic signals soon. The first traffic signals wouldbe installed at Dakbungalow roundabout. Thetraffic lights would be installed and integratedwith the system by BUIDCo and would be maintained by them for three years. The traffic police will be trained by BUIDCo,' said traffic SP PK Das.