Rash drivers to face criminal action soon, relocation of bus stops

Rash drivers to face criminal action soon, relocation of bus stops

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 29, 2017: Reports confirm that Mangaluru Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar recently said that the police were examining whether they could book criminal case against bus drivers who suddenly stop in the middle of the road to pick up passengers.

 

Mr. Sekhar told media that a caller during one of the phone-in programmes had asked why the police were not booking “rash and negligent driving” case under Section 279 of Indian Penal Code. “We have sought legal opinion in this regard and hope to act within a week,” he said.

Halting buses at non-designated places and on the middle of the road could lead to accidents and logically case of rash driving could be booked.  In such cases, the vehicle has to be impounded and referred to the court, Commissioner Sekhar added. But, a citizen points out that public who stand any where and everywhere and stop buses and the drivers who oblige are both at fault. The inconvenient road dividers too were a serious cause of difficulties.
Relocation of bus stops soon : It is said that  City Traffic Police will relocate at least five way-side bus stops that contribute to traffic snarls in the central business district within a week. Interacting with press on 25 weeks of police phone-in programme here recently, Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar said the police are working on the proposals and will effect the changes with due notice to general public.

Stating that most of grievances (261 out of 403) during the programme related to traffic woes, PC Sekhar said the police could act upon many of them. The objective of the programme was to hear from the ground and it provided the police real insight into various issues.  To reduce vehicular congestion inside the city, the police will install signboards at vantage locations to guide outsiders to bypass city roads in a week.

The police phone-in programme was launched on August 5, 2016, facilitating the public to call the police between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. every Friday. Either the Commissioner or Deputy Commissioners of Police would attend the calls and respond to grievances/ suggestions.  On an average, 17 calls were made during the 25 phone-in programmes, PC Sekhar said and added the system would continue. “We will institutionalise this system so that it continues irrespective of who holds the office,” the Commissioner said.  As many as 428 calls were received during the programme, including 25 this Friday.