Red light on top not a green signal anymore

Red light on top not a green signal anymore
Sunday August 3 2008 11:35 IST

Naveen Ammembala

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BANGALORE: If Bangalore City Police have their way, many VVIPs could lose the privilege of using special convoys zipping through busy streets by holding up traffic.

For, the police have decided to crack the whip on VVIP movement by cutting their privilege to use vehicles with beacons to move around with route clearance.

As a result, several people, including elected representatives and senior officials, who had been given a no-signal movement all these years, could soon end up waiting in long queues with other road users.

With mounting public opinion against extending VVIP status to all and sundry by making the common man endure harrowing traffic and pollution and increasing pressure on traffic police, new city Police Commissioner Shankar M Bidari has decided to crack the whip by cutting the facility to a select few like the President, the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, a few key Union Ministers, Governor, Home Minister and Heads of States.

All these years, the unwritten rule followed by the traffic police was to allow free movement of all vehicles with a beacon. As a result, the already nerve wracking traffic was further thrown out of the gear due to such frequent route clearances.

On an average, Bangalore receives over 1,500 VVIPs, including heads of nations, every year. This apart, several rallies and protests are staged every year on city roads.

‘‘VIPs have to exercise self-discipline. They should not convert police escort into pilot vehicles to get clearance at the cost of the common man,’’ a senior police officer said.

Bidari, however, said that in case of an exigency, ‘‘executive officials in the police department would be given a route clearance to reach the spot.’’

He, however, cautioned that it should not become a practice.