DTC, traffic police engage in tit-for-tat duel

Last week, the Delhi traffic police started a special drive to check violations by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and prosecuted about 80 DTC bus drivers for several road violations. Subhendu Ray reports.

Last week, the Delhi traffic police started a special drive to check violations by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and prosecuted about 80 DTC bus drivers for several road violations. This is allegedly in retaliation to the DTC refusing free rides to policemen.

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In September, Delhi Police had demanded free rides for police personnel on DTC buses, arguing that the move would help thwart possible terror bids and other incidents such as harassment of women commuters as well as to deter pickpockets.

This request was made after DTC penalised around 800 government employees, a sizeable number of whom were police personnel, for travelling without tickets a couple of months ago.

Delhi Police wrote to the DTC to "continue the facility of free travel to policemen". However, the DTC turned down the request and has started slapping a Rs 200 fine on each violator.

Now, as if in 'retaliation', the traffic police have started coming down heavily on DTC bus drivers. They have even started using video cameras to establish the authenticity of the violations after some drivers cried foul.

"In the current drive, we have started using video cameras to establish certain common violations such as red light jumping, lane violations etc.," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

The DTC authorities on Monday had initiated a special week-long drive to catch ticketless travellers in buses and other violators. The DTC prosecuted a total of 77 policemen on Monday and Tuesday morning hours.

"The DTC has been losing revenue due to ticketless travelling. We launched this special drive to check people travelling without tickets," said DTC spokesperson Sharat Kumar.

This year till November 15, the traffic police had prosecuted a total of 6,257 DTC bus operators, which is at least 1,500 more than the total prosecutions during the same period last year.