Spiritual lessons for commercial drivers

Failing to curb road accidents involving commercial vehicles, Delhi traffic police have now taken the path of spiritual preaching.

Failing to curb road accidents involving commercial vehicles, Delhi traffic police have now taken the path of spiritual preaching. The traffic police have decided to provide spiritual and moral orientation to the owners and drivers of commercial vehicles.

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This is a one-day programme that includes lectures on spirituality and on traffic signals and signages, Supreme Court guidelines, traits of a good driver, responsibilities of good drivers in case of accidents and breakdowns. It will be an eight-hour programme, of which two hours would be devoted on the moral aspects of traffic norms.

"We have plans to conduct such programmes frequently and train the drivers and owners of commercial vehicles. We hope this will bring a sea change in the behaviour of drivers, especially those who drive on city roads during night hours when the presence of traffic police on roads is thin or almost nil," said BS Bassi, special commissioner of police (traffic).

Police will soon chalk out a schedule and ask transportation companies, Delhi Transport Corporation, auto and taxi operators’ associations to enroll the respective owners and drivers to undergo the programme, said sources.

Delhi Police have tied-up with spiritual leaders and practitioners from different organisations including Brahma Kumaris Spiritual University (BKSU) to conduct such programme.

To start with, police have already started training drivers and owners of about 5,000 commercial vehicles that have been given ‘no entry’ permission to ply on city roads even when no entry restrictions are imposed. On October 25, a total of 1,200 people were given training at traffic police line.

Ram Nath, spiritual coordinator (transport) of BKSU, said: "Through these orientation programmes we try to incorporate sense of responsibilities among the drivers. This programme would help them to get rid of bad habits like drink driving and also improve in their behavioural pattern."