Jammu erupts in protests against rash driving, traffic police under fire

Police have launched special drive against minibus operators indulging in rash driving: SSP (Traffic)

A day after a Class XI student became the latest victim of rash and negligent driving, protests erupted in the city today with various groups accusing the traffic police of having failed in discharging its duty effectively.
The protesters raised slogans against the traffic police and demanded strict action against all minibus and bus operators indulging in rash and negligent driving.
Residents of Talab Tillo and adjoining localities held a noisy demonstration against the failure of the traffic police to keep a check on rash driving and alleged that the traffic police personnel deliberately ignored the issue on “monetary considerations”. They also burned tyres in the middle of the road and demanded a multi-pronged strategy to control the problem.
“It has become a routine in the city, particularly on the Talab Tillo route, that minibuses are being driven rashly for picking up more passengers. In the process, the drivers, who resort to negligent driving, do not bother about the lives of pedestrians and other road users. This is happening because the traffic police are not discharging their duty effectively,” Dharamveer Singh Jamwal, district president, Jammu Urban, National Conference, said while addressing protestors and party activists during a separate protest.
Yesterday, a Class XI student, Janvi Gupta (16), daughter of Naresh Gupta, resident of Talab Tillo, was crushed to death when a rashly driven minibus hit her Scooty, while her brother Reshu Gupta received injuries when they were on way to their home. Immediately after the incident, relatives and neighbours of the bereaved family assembled on the Talab Tillo road near the deceased’s residence and staged a protest, demanding stringent steps by the traffic police against the minibus drivers resorting to rash driving.
In the New Plot area, activists of the Jammu West Assembly Movement (JWAM), led by their president Sunil Dimple, staged a demonstration against the rising incidents of road accidents and rash driving on city roads.
Raising slogans against the state government and traffic police, the protesters alleged that the state administration had completely failed to save the lives of people. “Due to non-availability of parking lots and flyovers, there has been congestion on city roads. Adding to it, the rash and negligent driving has been proving fatal for road users. We appeal to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to personally look into the matter and issue necessary directions in this regard.”
Uday Bhaskar Billa, SSP, Traffic, Jammu, said they had launched a special drive against the minibus operators and there was no question of laxity on their part. “We need active cooperation of the residents in dealing with the problem. We have already intensified the challaning of vehicles, particular minibuses, for violations of traffic rules. We are doing our best to deal with the situation.”

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