Police department determined to regulate traffic in Karkala

R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (EP)

Karkala, Oct 29: The traffic police department led by ASP Annamalai has decided to take concrete measures to regulate the traffic that has increased here over the years. The police department held the first stage of talks with the Karkala municipal council administration in this regard on Monday October 28.
 
Parking space, no parking zones, one way traffic zones, fixing of road signs, construction of footpaths and such other matters were discussed at the meeting.

ASP Annamalai, circle inspector G M Naikar, sub-inspector Pramod Kumar, municipal council president Rehmat, vice-president Shashikala Rane, chief official Gopalakrishna Shetty, local committee president Winnibold Mendonsa, former president N R Subhit, former vice president Nalini, councilor Akshay Rai and others were present during the meeting.
 
This is not the first time that the police department is planning to regulate traffic here. The newly-appointed police officials had tried for such changes in the past also and discussed them in the town municipal meetings but they had failed due to non-cooperation by the citizens.
 
Regulating traffic in the area has become a big problem for the police. Karkala police had even reported to the district administration that the road was not suitable for traffic.
 
The banks and shops here are on the main road and people coming here are rich and influential. They park their vehicles in the middle of the road, and if police personnel take action against such people, they get transferred elsewhere, it is learnt.
 

Scarcity of police personnel

The scarcity of staff can be seen in the local police stations.  As it was difficult to assign police personnel to regulate traffic on the main roads, the police booth has become defunct and become a rest room for bus agents.
 
"If the government does not interfere in job assignments of the personnel, the police will be able to work efficiently," says inspector G M Naikar.
 
The police will first undertake a programme to create awareness among the people.  Police from other stations will be called for the purpose. Microphones will be used for traffic regulation. If the people do not listen, the department will not hesitate to take action.  Public cooperation will be essential in the matter, the police said.