Popular drives that did not last long

Popular drives that did not last long
The Hindu

LAW &ORDER Senior police officials say that because of shortage of staff and more important work, they cannot continue such programmes for long

THE BANGALORE city police have given up certain measures they had initiated to check disorderly behaviour in public. Though most of these programmes had made a positive impact, the police have reportedly not made serious efforts to sustain them.

Some time ago, the police conducted surprise checks on Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses and booked cases against men occupying seats reserved for women.

Such persons were arrested and produced in court, which released them after imposing fines. In the past two years, the police have not conducted such checks.

To create road awareness among the public, the traffic police had launched a drive against jaywalkers in the city's upmarket areas such as Mahatma Gandhi Road and Brigade Road. Cases were booked and fines collected from jaywalkers.

The drive, however, did not last long.

Similarly, the drive against people travelling on the footboards of BMTC buses, those smoking in public places, those urinating in public places and people dumping construction material on roads, thereby hindering traffic, were also given up within a short time.

Unlike in the past, the police have not taken up special drives against eve-teasers and those selling film tickets in the black market.

The police had taken up these programmes with the dual intention of sensitising the people on the need for maintaining public order and also to create a fear in the public mind that they would be penalised if they were found violating the rules.

Though many of these drives were restricted to the central parts of the city, the programmes had made a positive impact and were well received by the public.

Senior police officials say that because of severe shortage of staff and more important work, they cannot continue such programmes for long and also extend them to different parts of the city.