Bengaluru to get four new traffic police stations
The Hindu
Two Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) (Traffic) sub divisions will also be set up at HSR Layout and Vijayanagar
Catering to emerging traffic pattern on the city roads, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) is now setting up four new traffic police stations for better traffic management at the micro level. These will come up in Bellandur and Mahadevapura in East Division, Hennur in North Division and Talaghattapura in West Division.
“Two Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) (Traffic) sub divisions will also be set up at HSR Layout and Vijayanagar soon,” M. A. Saleem, Special Commissioner (Traffic) told The Hindu.
With the outer areas such as Bellandur and Mahadevapura waking up to traffic snarls again as physical work spaces resume, traffic problems were being frequently reported. A Whitefield Rising member said more police stations will definitely help residents of the area.
“One of the things we had requested for was a Whitefield division. We were under East Bengaluru. It’s a massively large area. When the Whitefield DCP division started, we saw how things got better. A new traffic division brings in much more centrality. Even with a measure like not allowing heavy vehicles on ORR, you can see the difference. Our first Whitefield rising protest in 2015 was about heavy vehicles choking State highway 35 that goes through Varthur village. Traffic police had stopped it, but didn’t continue with it. Seven years later, it has been implemented,” said the member.
“I still don’t think they understand how bad it is in the outer areas – chaos with the wrong side driving, BMTC buses not stopping in the right stop, etc. We welcome focus on outer areas, but more needs to be done on enforcement of the rules,” the member added.
In the North Division, there are now only four traffic police stations and the new one is expected to bring in more policing to the areas of Hennur, Thanisandra, K.G. Halli and others. “Many of these areas did not have much traffic policing all these days. But, it will bring in more attention there and also lessen the burden on Yelahanka traffic police station,” said Mr. Saleem.
As the population of Hennur has increased, residents feel that a new traffic station would be helpful. “The population here has grown and if all the logistics are properly worked out, then it will be very beneficial,” said Muniraju, a resident of Hennur.
While residents are worried over deaths due to diarrhoea in Vijayawada, officials still grapple to find the root cause. Contaminated drinking water supplied by VMC officials is the reason, insist people in the affected areas, but officials insist that efforts are on to identify the disease and that those with symptoms other than diarrhoea too are visiting the health camps.