The Ahmedabad Traffic department started road safety week from February 4 during which several drives and awareness programmes are being held by traffic cops in the city to create road safety awareness among people.
The drives and awareness programmes will take place in the city until February 10 and if needed, the traffic department will extend the date. During road safety week, several teams of traffic police will be made and they will carry out drives across the city. The drives will be organised around topics of safety awareness such as wearing helmets, following traffic rules, not driving on wrong side and carrying all necessary documents in the vehicle, among others.
The traffic cops will also be organising several seminars at different colleges and schools, where awareness will be spread among students regarding the importance of traffic rules and other road safety topics. Apart from that, a training session has been started by the traffic department where drivers of school buses, school vans, auto rickshaws and heavy-load vehicles will be given training on road safety.
Not only will there be awareness drives, but traffic offenders will be also issued challans for not following traffic rules. During the one week program, cops will target offenders for not wearing helmets and seatbelts, driving on the wrong side of the road, using mobile while driving and overspeeding, etc.
Akshayraj Makwana, DCP traffic, said, "We are trying to change the mentality of people in the city regarding traffic rules. They should know that we are not issuing fines to earn money, but to improve traffic flow on the roads and for the safety of commuters.
If they are following traffic rules to avoid challans, then that mentality should be changed and they should instead do it for their own good."
On Tuesday evening, one drive was conducted at Dafnala crossroad by the traffic department, where DCP Akshayraj Makwana and 50 traffic officials were present. During the drive, cops nabbed people who were wearing sub-standard helmets. The cops showed them the durability of their helmets by breaking them on the road and stressed on wearing helmets for safety rather than simply to avoid paying fines.
Around six to seven peoples' helmets broke in front of them and they were given new helmets by the cops. Apart from that, several hoardings and banners were installed at junctions, displaying photos of vehicles that had suffered accidents to create awareness among people.
LIST OF EVENTS
- Superbike rally in the city, with slogans regarding road safety.
- Traffic volunteers who have been helping traffic cops maintain traffic will be felicitated.
- People who got challans for not wearing helmets will get discounts at 11 helmet dealers in the city if they show their challan at the shop.
