Finally, Delhi's notorious motorists bow to law

By Azera Rehman Apr 20, 2007, 10:37 GMT

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Sukhram Singh brings his autorickshaw to a screeching halt at the red light. Shedding his me-no-care attitude, he gets off and tries to push the auto behind the zebra crossing. His sudden respect for law is thanks to a judiciary that has goaded a lethargic traffic police here to wake up.

'These new rules... they are very strict,' Singh mutters. A week earlier, he would have probably coolly jumped the traffic lights. But post the new campaign against errant driving, Singh, like many others on Delhi's Wild West roads, is trying his best to sober down.

'Who wants to pay a fine of Rs.600, madam? Now we have to wear uniform too. In a few days I will also get a badge with my name on it,' Singh says, as he rides off his galloping auto, obediently after the signal turns green.

The new uncompromising traffic police curbs are definitely having their effect.

Drivers of the private commuter buses and tinted glassed cars are crying hoarse that the rules are too strict. But the common man is rejoicing at being able to cross the roads - at least in some parts of the city - without having to worry about speeding vehicles.

'I am very happy with the rules. It's time these drivers learn that they don't own the roads and have to adhere to certain rules keeping the safety of people in mind,' said Nalini Singh, a student of Delhi University.

'Better late than never,' quipped her friend.

Drivers of the notorious Blueline commuter buses, also known as killer buses because of their involvement in frequent accidents, are cribbing the most. Having had the liberty of driving at neck breaking speeds and not following any rules, adhering to so many rules and that too with such precision is a hard hit on them.

'This is too much,' complained Subhash Kumar, driver of one such bus. Just as he unloaded passengers in south Delhi's Chankyapuri area, a traffic policeman intervened.

'The conductor is not in uniform. Don't you know the rules? Pay the fine!' the policeman said while punching Kumar's license. Five punches on the license, and it stands cancelled.

'Serves them right for not obeying the rules,' commented one of the passengers in the bus.

Added another: 'I think the traffic police should get more strict with the auto drivers as well. They are always on the lookout to loot passengers. Either their electronic metres are not working or they overcharge.'

Delhi has over 4.7 million registered vehicles - more than those in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai put together - and an average of four people die everyday in the national capital due to road accidents.

Even while the city seems to be divided between the majority who are happy with the rules and those who are not, there are those who say the rules are not uniform.

One such pedestrian, Sulakshana Mehra, said: 'Over the past four days I have noticed that these traffic policemen give the big cars a miss, despite them not obeying the rules, and run after the smaller vehicles.

'For instance, today I saw a couple of traffic policemen getting hold of a Santro car that was just touching the zebra crossing while ignoring the Porsche standing right on the zebra crossing.'

Whatever the case, that traffic rules are being implemented and being adhered to, long after they should have been, is good news. As one Delhi resident said: 'It is not that everything is perfect. A lot more needs to be done.'

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service