JAMMU: Traffic Police personnel on Thursday showed high degree of ignorance about the rules in vogue, as men in blues argued with some agitated vehicle pliers that they cannot take the road to left side at a crossing when traffic signal is red.
The altercation could have led to scuffle but for the green light that paved way for stationary vehicles to move forward. In an astonishing incident when the left lane of the National Highway, leading to Ambphalla Chowk was blocked by a matador at 6:00 PM, a commuter told the cop on duty that no vehicle should block the flow of traffic towards left because left turn remains open during red lights also.
To his shock and surprise, the cop boorishly rebuffed, “who told you that left turn is free ?”. The argument caught attention of some passers-by who educated the cops that they should do some home work or get refresher course before moving on to roads to manage the traffic. The cop refused to budge and allowed a Matador to remain stationary on the left turn, thus blocking the road leading to Ranbir Press. Ironically, this stretch of road is blocked for the public transport but still the cop took solace in the conductor shouting ‘Panj Tirthi, Parade’ , hurriedly pushing the passengers inside and then moving towards the Ranbir Press , which is no-entry for Matadors.
When STATE TIMES contacted Traffic Complaint Cell over the status of “free left turn” , the officer managing the cell confirmed that through-out Jammu City at every traffic signal the left turn is free.
“Since such cops bring discredit to the Traffic Department and promote lawlessness, the department needs to make such cops aware of the traffic norms”, said a commuter to STATE TIMES while narrating the sequence of events.
It’s just not the issue of one signal, the highly dense traffic area like Satwari Chowk, University to Bikram Chowk and others present the same scenario.