Night watchmen to bring down fatalities after dark

Starting Monday, Delhi traffic police will start a trial drive in their attempt to bring to book those who 'drink, drive and speed' at night by deploying personnel on city roads between 11pm and 5am. Subhendu Ray reports. The deadliest hours

Starting Monday, Delhi traffic police will start a trial drive in their attempt to bring to book those who 'drink, drive and speed' at night by deploying personnel on city roads between 11pm and 5am.

HT Image

Delhi police said they will introduce a special night patrolling team to catch speed violators and drunk drivers - two traffic norm violations that have become rampant on Delhi's streets at night hours when about 50% fatal accidents take place.

Equipped with high-tech gadgets such as passive alcometer and night vision interceptor, which will be tested for the first time, the team would patrol the roads to catch those violating traffic norms.

The traffic police are in the process of purchasing infrared based night interceptors and passive alcometers (an alcohol countermeasure gadget which, without active user participation, is able to identify presence of alcohol). They will float tenders for these if the week-long trial is successful, said a senior police officer.

"Following the success of the drive and, based on the efficiency of the new gadgets, we will make it a daily affair soon," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

Some city roads that would be covered by the special mobile team during the week-long drive include National Highway 8, Ring Road, Nelson Mendela Marg, Aurobindo Marg, Outer Ring Road, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road and DND Flyover.

"Due to manpower shortage, we are not in a position to deploy sufficient force to man all arterial roads to manage traffic and check violations but we have decided to introduce mobile teams," Garg said.

"We hope this initiative will bring in significant difference in fatal accidents during night hours."

KK Kapila, chairman, International Road Federation, said, "This is a step towards the goal to bring down road deaths. The special traffic teams should also keep changing their location from time to time so that traffic violators are always alert and thus do not flout norms."