PRINCE KUMAR
Ranchi, Nov 24: The Road safety policy that was formulated five years ago to save people from road accidents by ensuring proper implementation of road safety rules and taking strong action against violators is yet to be implemented properly in the Jharkhand capital.
Reports of accidents coming from different parts of the city suggest that many steps are required to be taken to save people from road accidents.
The traffic policemen of Ranchi supported the observation, expressing their helplessness to work properly.
“We don’t have essential equipment such as body-worn cameras, breath analyser and speed laser gun which was to be provided as per the road safety policy of the state,” a traffic constable said.
Another traffic constable supported him by saying, “CCTV cameras installed with a system to automatically generate challan for red light jumping are working only in a few areas of the district. It is difficult to depend on it for generations of challan in the whole city.”
Joint Transport Commissioner Ravi Shankar Vidyarthi on unavailability of equipment said that funds have been provided for the purchase of equipment and Rs. 4 crore was provided in the session 2020-2021.
IG (Provision) Prabhat Kumar said that body-worn cameras, breath analysers and speed laser guns have been purchased and provided to every district.
“Three more types of equipment will be purchased soon for the safety and security of the commuters,” Kumar said.
On the other hand, Ranchi Traffic DSP Dilip Khalkho said that body-worn cameras are not available.
“The breath analyser has not been used since the coronavirus came into being and we have two speed laser guns which are not working,” Khalkho said.
“The CCTV and automatic challan system will take time for integration and till now it is only used for red light jumping,” he added.
In the year 2016, Jharkhand’s first Road Safety Policy came into being which talked about several things such as empowering the traffic personnel, providing them with equipment to check the commuters, establishing Road Safety Fund, removing blackspot, restriction on old vehicles and several others.
