Mid-Day:Mumbai:Saturday, March 03, 2012.
Class IX student from Santacruz discovers traffic police cars flash obsolete numbers, worries that lack of action against errant drivers puts pedestrians at risk.
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Shaagun Kewalramani faces debilitating traffic near her Santacruz residence |
Helpline numbers of the Traffic Control could do with some resuscitating. The 30403040 number has been lying dysfunctional since 2009, but is still displayed on traffic police vehicles.
Most others are busy or inaccurate. Even the 'Essential and Emergency Numbers' listed on the official website of the Mumbai Police do not always work.
The findings were brought to the fore by a young concerned citizen of Santacruz, provoked by the stifling and chaotic traffic situation in her neighbourhood.
Shaagun Kewalramani, a Std IX student of Podar International School, resides with her family in Santacruz.
She regularly faces daunting snarl-ups in her locality.
Whenever she, or any of her family members, tried calling the traffic control, the numbers would be busy or turn out to be incorrect or no longer in operation. On the rare occasions they would get through, their complaint would receive no response or follow-up action.
Said Shaagun, "The roads around my place are crowded, and jammed with traffic. Even at night, the condition is no different. My dad and I have tried calling the helplines to the control room, but we received no response. Most of the traffic police vehicles still flash the number which is out of use."
The perpetually defunct lines and the apparent apathy of the traffic police so bothered Shaagun that she filed an RTI, dated February 7, to get an insight into the problem.
The reply states that the traffic line 30403040 was started in 2004 but was shutdown in 2009 due to technical problems.
The Motor Transport Office, Nagpada was informed long ago to remove the number from all transport office vehicles, and alternate numbers 022-24937755/ 24937747/ 2497746/ 24939717/ 24940303 of the Traffic Control Room, have been provided for contact regarding any traffic related problem.
However, Shaagun found out that three of these numbers were not working. When we tried contacting 'Roadway Enquiries' numbers displayed on the Mumbai Police's website, they were found to be non-operational.
Further, Shaagun is disturbed with the lack of concern on the part of the law enforcers.
She said, "Though the rules forbid vehicle drivers from halting on the zebra-crossing when the signal is red, many drivers do. This creates a major inconvenience for pedestrians crossing the road.
I have witnessed traffic cops standing right next to vehicles disregarding this rule yet taking no action against them." With the issue compounded by lack of action from on-spot traffic cops, pedestrians worry for their safety on the road, Shaagun said.
DCP (traffic) Nandkumar Chaugule could not be reached for comment. When MiD DAY tried contacting other senior officials, including an additional commissioner of traffic, they could not be reached.
The findings were brought to the fore by a young concerned citizen of Santacruz, provoked by the stifling and chaotic traffic situation in her neighbourhood.
Shaagun Kewalramani, a Std IX student of Podar International School, resides with her family in Santacruz.
She regularly faces daunting snarl-ups in her locality.
Whenever she, or any of her family members, tried calling the traffic control, the numbers would be busy or turn out to be incorrect or no longer in operation. On the rare occasions they would get through, their complaint would receive no response or follow-up action.
Said Shaagun, "The roads around my place are crowded, and jammed with traffic. Even at night, the condition is no different. My dad and I have tried calling the helplines to the control room, but we received no response. Most of the traffic police vehicles still flash the number which is out of use."
The perpetually defunct lines and the apparent apathy of the traffic police so bothered Shaagun that she filed an RTI, dated February 7, to get an insight into the problem.
The reply states that the traffic line 30403040 was started in 2004 but was shutdown in 2009 due to technical problems.
The Motor Transport Office, Nagpada was informed long ago to remove the number from all transport office vehicles, and alternate numbers 022-24937755/ 24937747/ 2497746/ 24939717/ 24940303 of the Traffic Control Room, have been provided for contact regarding any traffic related problem.
However, Shaagun found out that three of these numbers were not working. When we tried contacting 'Roadway Enquiries' numbers displayed on the Mumbai Police's website, they were found to be non-operational.
Further, Shaagun is disturbed with the lack of concern on the part of the law enforcers.
She said, "Though the rules forbid vehicle drivers from halting on the zebra-crossing when the signal is red, many drivers do. This creates a major inconvenience for pedestrians crossing the road.
I have witnessed traffic cops standing right next to vehicles disregarding this rule yet taking no action against them." With the issue compounded by lack of action from on-spot traffic cops, pedestrians worry for their safety on the road, Shaagun said.
DCP (traffic) Nandkumar Chaugule could not be reached for comment. When MiD DAY tried contacting other senior officials, including an additional commissioner of traffic, they could not be reached.
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