Requirement In The Infrastructure Of Traffic Police

Most of the Delhiites consider that traffic situation is one of the serious problems that national capital is at loggerheads. Traffic department of the Delhi Police consists of some four thousand personnel and their on-field staff is less than two thousand, at any given time. Are they well-equipped with the logistics to handle the traffic and the offenders? In fact, they need logistics urgently. What do they need?

1. E-challan machines: In a bid to modernize the traffic department of police, the Delhi Police top brass had decided to introduce e-challan machine to issue challans to the traffic offenders. These machines have been assigned to the ranks of head constable, assistant sub-inspector and sub-inspector. The motive behind this move was not only to combat the corruption but also to streamline the challan process with transparency. Once a traffic cop filed a challan through this e-machine, it is stored in the record of his traffic circle as well as in the Todapur office of the traffic department.

The conditions of almost all of the e-machines are pitiable as of now. More than four years have gone by and no machine has been procured. These machines had purchased from a private Indian company by the P & L department of the Delhi Police. Cops have always been complaining about small alphabets of these machines but of late, issues regarding functioning and batteries surfaced. Traffic personnel are emphasizing the need of procurement of new machines. These have not been procured for many years.

2. Pollution masks: The roads of Delhi are full of hydrocarbons and many other hazardous pollutants and various courts, NGOs and government agencies have voiced their concerns about it. Traffic cops are the most affected persons by this pollution. They are doing their duties for long hours on road; and, for most time without any masks. In fact, police department provides them with the masks, but they are negligible in numbers. Traffic cops say that a good mask lasts two days, at the most. That is why they have no other option besides standing on roads without any mask. Many health problems are being detected in these cops during their health-check-ups. This is need of the hour to protect the traffic cops from this hazardous pollution.

3. Wireless sets: Traffic cops need wireless sets and they have been provided with these sets at every traffic point, regardless of their ranks. From constables to upper ranks, all have been given these sets in order to address the need at every point. Firstly, traffic cops never get any new wireless set. When policemen with districts get new sets, their old sets would provide to the traffic cops. Reason behind this lies in the notion that district police face law and order as well as crime-related situations, which are more serious than traffic matters. That is why traffic cops get used wireless sets. Most of the sets have to be tied with rubbers by them because of their deplorable conditions. Traffic personnel say that they need new wireless sets as their duty is no less than that of district police nowadays.

4. Light-bars: Traffic constables have to keep light-bars with themselves during their night duties. These cops are telling they had to purchase these light-bars, they have not been provided officially with light bars. They do purchase these from Paharganj market on their own cost. These light bars are inevitable to have during night shifts. Cops are telling they did not get any light bar this year. That is the reason that these light bars should be provided them immediately.

5. Bikes: Traffic cops have been provided with Bajaj Pulsar bikes. Most of the bikes are defective in every aspect. To perform well on duty, Traffic Police should be provided bikes.

6. Uniform: Traffic personnel are being provided with their uniform once in two years. Owing to the nature of their duty, the uniform cannot last more than four months. So, it is imperative to provide uniform to them whenever required.

7. Alcometer: Besides traffic offences, Delhi is also known for drunken driving. This situation worsens especially on the weekends. Traffic cops do make challans for drunken driving but they have a few alcometers to test the drivers for alcohol. It would be better to have more alcometers in order to control this menace.