With a view to give the commuters relief from the growing bottlenecks of traffic in the busy streets of Mangaldai town, the traffic police branch of Mangaldai police station has started crackdown on the perpetrators of traffic rules.
In the last couple of days, the police on an average have picked up six motorbikes a day parked in the ‘no parking’ areas and imposed official penalty on the vehicle owners.
Talking to Northeast Now on Saturday Gokul Deka, in-charge of the traffic branch of Mangaldai police station said, “Our vigilant team in last two days picked up eleven motorbikes for illegal parking and was fined accordingly.”
It is worth mentioning here that several factors including the rapid rise in number of motorbikes, cars, three wheeler rickshaws, lack of space for parking in the narrow stretch of streets, lack of adequate parking management in the multistory parking place, vendors illegally occupying the roadsides, lack of civic sense for a section vehicle owners have worsened the traffic scenario of the town day by day.
The traffic police in a bid to streamline the traffic movement have put up some restrictions including one side parking of motorbikes for every alternate week particularly in two busiest roads namely LNB and MG roads, restrictions on the to and from movement of four and three wheeler vehicles and sometimes used to take action against the violators of the traffic rules.
The PWD constructed multistory parking complex has helped a lot availing parking facilities reportedly for about 300 two wheelers and 50 four wheelers at a time.
However as the Darrang district administration and Mangaldai Municipal Board are yet to authorize any agency for management of this parking complex there has been always doubt in the minds of the vehicle owners coming for parking.
Meanwhile the police has recently driven away the illegal roadside vendors near Lokenath Baba temple at ward no 5 which is used as an alternative route to the busy LNB road.
“The roadside vendors near the tri-junction of Lokenath Baba temple which have causing troubles to traffic movement have been removed by us under the supervision of our higher authority,” added traffic in-charge Deka.
On the other hand, the District Transport Department, Darrang has chalked out plans for proper monitoring and control of the illegal practices of the vehicular traffic including rash driving, illegal parking particularly along the NH-15 and violations of the other relevant provisions of the motor vehicle act.
“Discussions have been made at the highest level of the district administration and accordingly we have chalked out plans to minimize the road accidents. It will come into place within a short period from now.” said Kumar Sanjay Krishna, district transport officer while talking to Northeast Now.
“In addition to enforcing laws for the motor vehicles on the roads, we have also conducted series of public awareness programmes and free screening of eyes of the commercial drivers among others,” added Padma Lochan Hazarika, motor vehicle Inspector.
It may be mentioned here that a meeting of the district level transport authority was held recently with additional deputy commissioner Kulen Sarma in the chair where all the relevant agencies in connection with traffic and road accidents including representatives of the Transport, Police, National Highway, Municipal Bodies, Health were present.