With surveillance cameras installed at many city locations getting disconnected due to Kochi Metro’s civil works, the Traffic Police and the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) are seeking more help from members of the public to zero in on rule violators.
Photos or videos of traffic offences or any act that might affect safety of road users that take place within the city can be sent through WhatsApp to the police by using the number 7559899100. The place and time of occurrence too must be mentioned. The identity of the person who informs the police would be kept confidential.
Rule violations can be brought to the notice of MVD through e-mail roadsafetycell@gmail.com or its Facebook page mvdkerala.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic East) Sajan Koyikkal said rule offenders caught on camera by public would have to remit fine or face statutory action as specified in rules. “Apart from information bearing photos and videos, we also get written complaints based on which action is taken,” he said.
“Most photos and videos sent by the public are about illegal or obstructive parking on roads and pavements, vehicles bearing defective number plates, sunfilms, helmet-less driving and using cell phones while driving,” said Ernakulam Joint RTO, P.N. Venugopal. We issue notices to rule offenders, hear their version and then impose fine. Proactive cooperation of the public was crucial to ensure road safety, he said.
Motor Vehicle Inspector Vinod Kumar N., who heads MVD’s enforcement squad, said there had been good response from the public to the initiative. “It is useful since our personnel and the police cannot keep track of each and every street. Care must be taken so that complainants clearly record registration number in photos, videos,” he said. Instances of overloading, rash or intimidatory driving, ill-maintained vehicles or vehicles emitting thick smoke too can be brought to the notice of rule enforcers.
Emergency exitAll educational institution buses registered after February 13, 2015 must have an emergency exit at the rear, the Motor Vehicles Department has said. This order comes in the wake of complaints that many school and college buses are operating sans proper emergency exits.
“Passengers would now have to break the rear windshield (which is now considered as ‘emergency exit’) to get out of a bus/van that has met with an accident and toppled over. This would change once full-fledged exits, which act as doors, are fitted,” a MVD official said.
