Post Time:Aug 31,2010Classify:Industry NewsView:425
KOCHI: DGP Jacob Punnoose has promised stern action against the use of dark sun control film by all vehicles including those of the Home and the Police Departments. He also appealed to the public to make use of the ‘Citizen Watch’ provision in the official website of the Kerala Police (www.keralapolice.org) to bring to notice the misuse of police department vehicles for private use. The DGP was responding to a query from M V J Thampi of Thiruvananthapuram to the ‘Ask the DGP’ column on the use of dark sun screen films on the Home and Police department vehicles as well as the widespread misuse of police vehicles for private use.
The full text of the DGP’s reply is as follows:
“I do share your concern. Please do not think that the police favor cars vis-a-vis two-wheelers. Most police personnel own two-wheelers and their hearts must be with two-wheeler users! Helmet is a safety issue. Paradoxically, it is the police concern for safety which gets interpreted as hostility. Perhaps, the police may need to do it with more politeness and self-evident concern.
Darkened glass, additionally, is also a security issue. Concealment could be a cover for crime. In Kerala such crimes are few, hence few complaints are received about darkened glasses. However, the rule needs to be enforced strictly. We will definitely have drives to ensure that the prescribed level of transparency is maintained in car window glasses, including those of the Department. As for misuse of police vehicles for private purposes, in addition to our own vigil, the public are welcome to record such misuse on mobile phone cameras and then either email to us or post at the Citizen Watch on our website.”
Speed governors
It is heard that all heavy vehicles plying on the roads of Kerala are fitted with speed governors. But most of the buses are ‘flying’ above 90 kmph on our roads. Is it with the connivance of the departments concerned?
- Viswanathan, Thalassery
“All buses are to be compulsorily fitted with speed governors. The Certificate of Fitness will not be issued by the Motor Vehicles Department unless a speed governor is fitted on the vehicle. So if vehicles are going faster than the permitted levels, either the governor is defective or has been disconnected illegally. The police and the Motor Vehicles Department will cooperate in this regard and see that the rule is enforced. There is also the problem that many passengers want the buses to go as fast as possible and put implied pressure on the bus crew to circumvent the law. The police will consider introducing random checking at bus stands to check the reliability of speed governors with the help of technically qualified personnel. More importantly, we are going to deploy a large number of modern speed radars which will help in detecting, recording and photographing speeding vehicles. If buses are caught speeding, they will be answerable for speeding as well as for disconnecting speed governors and for manipulating them.”
Misuse of ambulances
The other day when I happened to my friend whose mother was sick, the ambulance driver used the siren unnecessarily and reached the hospital at Edappally within 30 minutes from Tripunithura. The patient was neither serious nor having any complicated problems. Is the police monitoring ambulances or have they issued any strict instructions to ambulance drivers not to misuse the facility?
- Padmini, Kochi
“Much obliged to you for bringing this to my notice. Your suggestion is welcome. There is now no formal regulation specific to ambulances. Quite a few ambulances are seen on the roads, with blaring sirens. There is need to prescribe facilities, color codes, driver identities, registers, inspections etc so that the ambulance label is not misused. One can even think of ambulances alerting police control rooms before they start so that the routes can be kept clear in a real emergency. At the same time false claims of urgency can be detected and, if necessary, penalized. One hears of other types of misuse of ambulances, particularly since they do not usually get checked and since all others give way.”
Pre-paid auto booth
The Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station has a pre-paid auto booth. But at night (after 8 pm) there are hardly any autorickshaws at that booth. At the same time autos are parked outside the booth on the roadside. If passengers approach them they will initially show reluctance to go to certain destinations but would later agree if the passengers offer four or five times the actual fare. It can be solved if the police insist that all autos should be parked at the pre-paid booth inside the railway station.
- Padmanabhan Namboodiri, Tvpm
“The prepaid service should preferably be a 24-hour service. I will ask the Commissioner of Police to have this looked into. The system has been in place for several years now. If it requires any improvement, needed steps will be taken. Do not hesitate to complain against an auto driver who overcharges you.
If none complains, overcharging will continue. Auto drivers must also understand that pleasant behavior will actually increase earnings.
This was the experience in Kozhikode three decades back and continues to this day. The hiring of autos by the public would increase in proportion to the pleasantness of the experience. Apart from penal action against overcharging, the police will also actively promote good passenger relations by auto drivers.
Ideally, in tourist-friendly God’s own land, auto and taxi drivers should be angelic ambassadors of goodwill.”
Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/darkened-glassAuthor: shangyi