Free left violators to be penalised: traffic police
Hyderabad, March 6 (INN): The city traffic police on Sunday announced that it has identified 61 junctions where the traffic flow could be eased by monitoring the halts by commuters due to the signals. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) CV Anand said that it was noticed that motorists have got used to overtaking from the left and are stopping at the signal in such a manner that they obstruct all the other motorists who want to go left (or free left) at almost at every junction in the City that.
Mr Anand said that in other words, it is the desire of those who arrive last at the Red signal at the junction but want to go first after the signal turns green. This is seemingly unfair for those who sincerely follow traffic rules as they feel cheated by those who keep piling up from the left and rushes forward when the signal changes to green.
Mr Anand revealed that the Traffic Police has identified 61 junctions where it is possible to leave a lane of 11 feet for the vehicles going on the Free Left. The Traffic police chief pointed out that an argument exists where Free Left concept does not allow pedestrians to cross the road and this point is taken into consideration.
Mr Anand said that the traffic police will post Constables and Home Guards at Free Left point to allow pedestrians to cross the road before allowing vehicles to proceed on Free Left. A Special Drive to be conducted by the Traffic police will concentrate on educating motorists to stick to the lanes in the junction without encroaching on the double line which have been drawn for Free Left.
Any motorists crossing this double line or touching it would be penalised under sections 436/177 of the Motor Vehicle Act for lane crossing. The penalties amount to Rs 100 for 2 wheelers and Rs 200 for 4 wheelers. Mr Anand said the traffic police would spend Monday educating the public and levying of fines will start from Tuesday onwards.
Cameras will be deployed to click photographs of those violating the Stop Line and Free Left line and violating motorists. Any violating vehicle will be stopped from going straight and will be asked to go all around and come back to the adjacent junction as deterrent measure.
The traffic police chief said that after concentration on stopping the traffic at Stop Lines in Hyderabad City for the last 2 months, a marked difference is seen in the discipline of motorists in stopping by themselves at the Stop Line on a Red Signal. The Special Drive will also concentrate on enhancing this discipline of stopping before the Stop Line through enhanced enforcement during the Special Drive.
