Strict drive to ensure smooth traffic in two weeks, says DGP Loknath Behera

Kochi: The existing traffic regulation plan in Kochi city will be reformed and stricter enforcement drive will be launched in two weeks as an immediate measure to decongest the state's commercial capital, DGP Loknath Behera said on Saturday.

“The action was necessitated since the vehicle population increased many times in the last  decade while most of the city roads couldn't be further developed. The number of deaths in mishaps too rose from 136 in 2014 to 159 in 2015,” he said while addressing a meeting of stakeholders including various governments departments connected with transport, residents associations and passengers associations among others.

The suggestions from various stakeholders were collected during the meet and Mr. Behera said that the relevant ones will be compiled and implemented. “There will be a standard operating procedure and nothing would be arbitrary. We've received many suggestions which the police alone cannot implement. In such cases, we'll take up the matters at the highest level of agencies like Kochi Corporation,” he said.

Behera sought the opinion of stakeholders on initiatives like encouraging pay-and-park, which would resolve parking issues and help earn the civic body earn sizeable revenue. Emphasizing the need for public participation in road development, he exhorted the residents associations to take up activities like constructing footpaths as part of their social commitment without waiting for civic bodies to act.

“The police personnel will help in getting the sanctions from the concerned authorities. In Thiruvananthapuram, footpaths were constructed at three places by the residents associations and the same is evoking good response,” he said.

Stakeholder meeting to be made regular under ADGP

The consultation with various stake holders would be conducted at regular intervals to ensure public participation in traffic enforcement and a framework for the same will be drawn up by a team led by ADGP South Zone B Sandhya. This was announced by DGP Loknath Behera at the end of the first such stakeholder consultation meeting held in the city on Saturday.

“There should be a mechanism for two-way communication between the police and the public. De-centralisation will be done and such meetings will be held at a regional level. ADGP Sandhya, who heads the community policing initiative, will be in charge,” he said. During the meet, Behra himself had a few suggestions to be implemented in the city without much delay.

Citing the practice in the US, he exhorted the elite schools in the city to start driving schools. “This way the driving lessons need not be imparted in roads at the early stage. The youngsters, who will be taught primary diving lessons at the age of 16 years, will get to learn driving for two more years before appearing the test unlike the present system,” he said.

Another suggestion was with regard to deploying low floors buses for city services. The DGP asked the private bus operators whether they are ready to deploy the “safe and comfortable” vehicles. The bus owners expressed their willingness, but said private players were not covered by a special notification under which the KSRTC operates such buses.

The DGP asked the Regional Transport Officer to look into the possibility of legal amendments in this regard. The various suggestions from stakeholders included restoration of PRIDE (Police and Residents Association Initiative in District Ernakulam), restoration of city roads by Kochi Metro, women-friendly roads, removal of illegal encroachments and strict implementation of 'free left' at traffic signals among others.