Traffic rules need to be enforced at night too

Traffic rules need to be enforced at night too

There has been a big jump in vehicular traffic in recent years

The Hindu

THE NEED for strict enforcement of traffic rules throughout the night has become imperative with Bangalore's traffic scenario undergoing a sea change after the influx of information technology (IT) companies, business process outsourcing (BPO) firms and call centres to the city.

As the IT firms, BPOs and call centres work round the clock, the volume of vehicular traffic during the night has gone up considerably.

The increase in traffic and little enforcement by the police have led to a rise in road accidents during the night and early in the morning.

According to senior police officials, now the traffic volume at night almost matches the daytime traffic of a few years ago. Vehicles carrying employees of IT companies, call centres and BPOs comprise the majority of night traffic.

Road accidents that occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. account for nearly 30 per cent of the total accident deaths. The hourly analysis of accidents show that the highest number of people are killed in incidents reported between 9 p.m. and midnight, the police say.

As traffic signals are switched off at 11 p.m., and with no enforcement during the night, drivers not only over speed but also violate other traffic rules, resulting in accidents. The private drag races during the night and drunken driving have also contributed to increase in accidents.

The police say that many accidents have occurred when drivers have violated one-way rule during the night and early in the morning. Though the police have been taking up special drives to check violation of one-way rule during the early hours of the day, the problem still persists, they say.

While the top brass of the police is planning to have regular shifts for the traffic personnel throughout the night to ensure better traffic management, the same has not been possible due to staff shortage.

The State Government has taken the matter seriously and has promised to recruit 2,000 personnel exclusively for traffic duty. "Once the recruitments are completed, we might have full shift throughout the night," says a senior official.

Of late, traffic signals are not switched off even during the night at six important junctions in the central parts of the city. But, still motorists are found violating rules at these junctions, he said.