Traffic violators to pay

The Delhi traffic police are beginning to come down heavily on the supporters of anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare who have been violating traffic and are indulging in hooliganism. Subhendu Ray reports.

The Delhi traffic police are beginning to come down heavily on the supporters of anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare who have been violating traffic and are indulging in hooliganism.

HT Image

On Monday, 126 protesters were prosecuted on the spot for various traffic norm violations.

Of the 126, 86 were riding motorcycles without helmets and 40 were caught for ‘triple riding’ on bikes. “Most of them were caught from the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Tilak Marg, Ranjeet Singh Flyover, mandi House and Rajpath,” said a traffic police officer.

The drive began on Sunday and 40 bikers were prosecuted for traffic norm violations. Most of the violating protesters were caught at India Gate, Rajghat and Prithviraj Road.

Finding it difficult to catch the violators during rallies and marches, police on Monday deployed men with six video cameras at several intersections at New Delhi and Central Delhi districts to check violations.

“We will see the video footage and send challans to the violators’ addresses tomorrow,” said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

Gandhi caps and national flags had replaced helmets in a big way immediately after Anna Hazare had begun his protest against the government a week ago.

Initially, the traffic police had not done taken any action.

It was after HT’s report ‘Protesters give traffic rules a miss’ on Sunday that Delhi traffic police initiated its crackdown on violators.

“We have come heavily on the traffic norm violators. Be they general public or protesters, violators will not be spared any more,” said Garg. He said that based on videographic evidence, a huge number of violating protesters will be issued challans.

Today being a holiday owing to Janmashtami, many people many have still managed to violate traffic norms, “but from tomorrow we will be merciless,” said a senior police officer.