Some good in smooth, swift & safe flow of traffic can be done without any additional costs on exchequer

Mehta too has advised civil & police Admn to devise traffic management plan after a scientific study in 2 weeks

DAYA SAGAR

The traffic during night/late evenings need be regulated for safe and smooth driving by MVD & Traffic Police so as to ensure that the vehicles using dazzling light for an observer approaching ahead of the vehicle /multiple lights are either made to use proper lights or made to go off road since such owners who do not use even dippers are increasing the possibilities of accidents, are making the travel time longer for others and particularly ‘harassing’ the senior citizens / elder drivers even when clear law exists for regulating such defaulters (Safety Standards No. 15.1 [Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 Notification S.O. No. 873 (E) dtd. 15.12.1997, item No. 20, of Ministry of Surface Transport ) like .4.3 Headlight – A lighting device providing an upper and/or a lower beam used for providing illumination forward of vehicle. 4.5 Meeting beam or lower beam or low beam – Beam illuminating only a specified limited part of the road, in order to reduce the dazzle for an observer approaching ahead of the vehicle. 5.2 The position of headlights on the vehicle shall be as per Rule No. 105 (3) of CMVR , The Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 106. Deflection of lights (1) No lamp showing a light to the front shall be used on any motor vehicle including construction equipment vehicle (whether fitted with single or dual head lamp) unless such lamp is so constructed, fitted and maintained that the beam of light emitted therefrom- is permanently deflected downwards to such an extent that it is not capable of dazzling any person whose eye position is,- (A) at a distance of 8 metres from the front of lamp, 111. Prohibition of spot lights, etc. No spot light or search light shall be carried on the front of any vehicle except in exceptional circumstances with the prior approval of the registering authority.
Similarly in cities like Jammu one would hardly find people coming out happily from the government parking lots where some parking attendant may be found over charging / parking attendant may be hardly found in uniform with identity badge. May be in view of some parking lots being not that commuter friendly people avoid parking there and take risk of parking on road side.
Some Jammu city road are so often found used like self parking grounds by some ( somewhere on both sides of road ) for day/ night parking which gives bad look / environment to city as well as some time becomes reason for quarrels amongst the locals / commuters. Not only that often unknown vehicles can be found parked in lanes of some Mohallas which create problems for locals there, local disputes occur and such parking areas could be used by terrorists/ law offenders too. Places were such practices have become a common note must be located and cleared.
The Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Home too while addressing a high level meeting over traffic management in the UT of J&K in Srinagar has been quoted as having said on 10th June that present traffic situation calls for more stringent enforcement at all levels, use of modern tools and technology for manning the roads and ensuring smooth flow of traffic on them. Good but the enforcement has to be done as a routine and regular manner. While enforcing rules / practices inconvenience should not be cause even to a one disciplined commuter / citizen. Yes advised by ACS Home enforcement of good practices has to be by and at all levels as a routine. May be times demand enforcement of rules / codes/civic practices with seriousness as a routine work instead seeing solutions only in fear of law. Use of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) on vehicles is in the greater interest of security of one and all. No vehicle owner should have any objection to that. But in case one using old plate has to run from place to place / wait for hours in open for depositing fee/ collecting plate/ getting plate fixed then simple ‘strict’ enforcement would not be fair. So the RTOs/ARTOs must see how the new plate can be fixed without much cost in time / convenience for which number of delivery points be increased or provision for taking time & date for fixation of plate can be given online. For new vehicles the dealers be made responsible for delivering vehicle fixed with HSRP only ( some registration exercise could be shared by RTO with dealers ) otherwise why should anyone having paid the charges but not issued plate be put to inconvenience.
The shortfalls / deficiencies like a few quoted here if managed with some more commitment would surely help in making roads free flowing without spending additional money by government.
(The author is Sr. Journalist, leading scribe on Kashmir affairs [email protected]).