To check accidents, traffic cops to stay late

In a bid to reduce road accidents during late hours and take on violators who take advantage of the absence of cops, the traffic police have increased its presence at night by two-and-a-half hours. Subhendu Ray reports. Late hours

In a bid to reduce road accidents during late hours and take on violators who take advantage of the absence of cops, the traffic police have increased its presence at night by two-and-a-half hours.

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"Now, the traffic police go off roads completely at 12.30am. Till a fortnight ago, the duty hours for traffic cops ended at 10pm," said Anil Shukla, additional commissioner of police (traffic).

He said the non-policing hours - the time when presence of traffic police is nil on roads-- have been reduced from nine hours to six-and-a-half hours.

In each traffic district, after 10pm, a team of about 10 traffic personnel are deployed at strategic points and important intersections.

Each team comprises a traffic inspector, three to four zonal officers and five to six constables and randomly covers all the 50 circles of the traffic police in rotation.

Their primary role is to keep a constant vigil on the movement of heavy goods vehicles, check violations such as red light jumping, speeding and drunk driving.

"Presence of traffic policemen at strategic locations during night hours will significantly check several traffic violations and make the city's accident-prone stretches safer," Shukla said.

In June last year, the traffic police had planned to introduce night patrolling between 11pm and 5am. But the plan never materialised reportedly due to the shortage of manpower, said an official.

The existing strength of Delhi traffic police is about 5,800.

Road users are most vulnerable during night hours when traffic police go off the road. During these hours, heavy transport vehicles take over the city's arterial roads and cause many road accidents.

About 40% of city's fatal accidents takes place during night hours.

Some arterial roads covered by the traffic police during late night hours include National Highway 8, Ring Road, Nelson Mendela Marg, Aurobindo Marg, Outer Ring Road, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road and DND Flyover.