Andhra Pradesh

‘Responsible citizens follow traffic rules’

Sir,

I have been reading the replies being given by you in The Hindu. Really this has provoked me to put my suggestion for the common good.

Is there any plan to prohibit the use of bicycles on certain busy roads and expressways during certain peak hours to ensure free flow and avoid traffic jams?

It has been a regular practice on certain roads like Abids, Khairatabad, Medhipatnam, Patny X roads, Chilakalaguda X roads, some cyclists come in between without following the minimum traffic rules and causing traffic jams and major problems to the speedy movement of vehicles.

I request you to think over this issue and put some restrictions on the use of cycles .

M.MADDILETI, Chief Inspector,

APSRTC MD’s OFFICE, BUS BHAVAN, Hyderabad Dear Mr. Maddileti,

Thanks for your mail. You have rightly pointed out one of the biggest hazards of driving - the sudden emergence of a cyclist, or, for that matter, a jumping jack materialising out of nowhere in front of your vehicle. It appears as if they had taken for granted that no law applies to pedestrians / cyclists and, at times, push carts.

Now, we are stopping pedestrians from running through the traffic. We are also making cyclists stop behind the stop line. Thus, slowly they are being made to realise their responsibility. We take the bolting pedestrian / cyclist to Police Station for counselling. If this does not work, we will take tougher measures. But, remember, old habits die hard. Recently, we issued a notification clearly mentioning: “Pedestrians shall walk on the footpaths. They shall not cut across the traffic moving in the direction indicated by the signal or the traffic police . They shall cross, when allowed, only at the zebra crossings”.

Sir,

The vehicular traffic on the flyovers is also erratic and accident prone. Either at the starting or even in the midway of the flyover, say at Masab Tank, the vehicles riders take a u-turn, unmindful of the flowing traffic ahead and back and thus obstruct the smooth flow of traffic. In view of this, the possibility of erecting road dividers on the flyovers itself may be explored so as to keep the intruders away for the main carriageway.

Seshagiri Row Karry,

Mehdipatnam. Dear Mr. Seshagiri,

I have faxed a copy of your suggestion to the GHMC. Earlier, we got studs placed all along the median on the Upper Tank Bund. But, if a divider can come up, it would be better.

Sir,

I feel many Hyderabadis love and enjoy to break traffic rules. In that case whatever number of traffic police are employed will never be sufficient. At the same time I do not think people are not aware of traffic rules. My experience is such, an honest traffic rule follower shall face problem in Hyderabad because of other indiscipline drivers.

PK Mandal,

Hyderabad Dear Mr. Mandal,

Thanks for your mail. I agree with your opinion about the tendency on the part of drivers to violate traffic rules on account of which the law abiding citizens have to suffer.

We are trying to educate and appeal to the conscience of all the road users. One of our slogans is “Responsible citizens follow traffic rules”. We are also tightening up enforcement measures. But, old habits die hard. Reforming the habits of lakhs of road users is a big challenge in culture change. We hope to use technology to put errant persons in place.

Sir,

All said and done I feel the Traffic Police is doing a tremendous job against heavy odds. However I have a few suggestions. 1. In summer is it possible for the traffic police to have a shorter day shift?

2. It is only now we are learning to follow the traffic lights not withstanding many infractions.

I.P.P. Prabhakara Rao,

Seetharamnagar, Secunderabad. Dear Mr.Rao,

Thanks for your concern for the traffic police. We try to break up the duties into shifts for our men. All departments, namely, Police, GHMC and Secunderabad Cantonment Board, have awarded contracts for maintenance of signals to other agencies. We are reviewing their performance periodically on the basis of the feed back from our field staff as well as citizens.

Sir,

Most of the senior citizens are driving cars. The traffic volumes are increasing day-by-day. Factors like driving at high speed, overtaking erratically though no space is available apparently confuse and scare the senior citizens. In this backdrop, I suggest that an indication as ‘senior citizen driving’ or whatever appropriate you feel may be displayed on the front and rear sides of cars driven by senior citizens.

K. Paul Abhilash,

APHB colony, Moulali. Dear Mr. Abhilash,

It is a good idea to have some identification on vehicles being driven by senior citizens. I have requested the Commissioner, Transport, to help us design it. We’ll do it soon.

Sir,

In spite of several complaints, especially from senior citizens, about regulating speeding two-wheelers on the roads, the police is yet to respond. There is no control on the movements of two-wheelers on wrong sides. Trucks, lorries laden with heavy goods move during peak hours.

K . BHASKARA RAO,

Nizampet Mr. Rao,

Nizampet and Kukatpally fall under Cyberabad Commissionerate. You may like to contact Cyberabad Police at their Kukatpally office.

Sir,

I wish to bring to your kind notice the great danger posed to the unwary pedestrians, especially schoolchildren and senior citizens, at either end of the Ramakrishnapuram Flyover, under GHMC, Malkajgiri. There is no traffic control mechanism like traffic signal, speed breakers, zebra crossing, traffic island etc and even a traffic constable is not posted to regulate vehicles. M. Ramamoorthi,

Ramakrishnapuram. Dear Mr. Ramamoorthi,

Malkajgiri falls under Cyberabad Police Commissionerate. However, the points mentioned by you are relevant to the entire city.

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