Police strategy to curb young, erratic riders in city

Police strategy to curb young, erratic riders in city

Mangalore Today News Network

Aug 24, 2016: A resident of Derebail in the city, was shocked to see a notice served to him by the Mangaluru city traffic police. Charges against him were rash and negligent riding, causing traffic obstruction and riding without a helmet.

The notice warned that failure to respond to the notice within 15 days may land him in jail for three months or/ with a penalty of Rs 500.

In fact, it was his son - a student, who violated the rules by riding the two-wheeler during a post-campus election rally held in the city on August 13.  Nearly 1,000 students from various college students’ organisations had created traffic gridlock on MG Road, PVS Junction and Navbharath Circle soon after their internal election, which was held on the weekend. When the city police control room was flooded with phone calls, they acted swiftly by sending cops with cameras and recorded the numbers of the two-wheelers that were causing traffic mess for hours.

Later, they sent nearly 200 notices based on the video evidence. The move of the city traffic police is being hailed by many in the city, especially parents of schoolchildren who were caught in the traffic mess. "Appreciate the traffic police for serving notices to the owners of the two-wheelers. They should penalize them appropriately and continue the action in future too, so that no organization will hold similar rallies blocking busy roads," said  a socially conscious citizen. 

Assistant commissioner of police (traffic) K Tilakchandra said notices were sent only to those who violated rules.
"action was not against that particular students’ rally. We had asked them in advance not to violate traffic rules. Notices have been sent to those who violated rules based on specific information. There is nothing wrong in holding rallies by adhering to the rules. However, we will be at the receiving ends while people put the blame on us for the traffic mess," .