Netizens red flag new traffic point system

The government has introduced the traffic points system to help reduce road accidents and improve traffic sense among motorists. Meanwhile, people are asking the government to repair potholes, traffic lanes and zebra crossings at junctions, introduce separate lanes for buses and other vehicles, and set up parking areas.

Mr Kamal Kamaraj, a Tollywood actor and an architect, recently posted a picture taken at Gachibowli Junction, in which a TSRTC bus and a few other vehicles are seen overshooting the red signal in their impatience for it to turn green. While appreciating the government’s new initiative, he has asked to implement traffic rules strictly.

K. Raj Kumar, a techie from Alwal, also wrote a post asking why the government hadn’t implemented a point system to rate roads and identify poor quality roads. “While the potholes on city roads are leading to accidents, why does the government not pull up concerned officials?” he asked. Respondents to his post include contractors and officials.

When the IT Minister tweeted about the points system and said that it would help ensure safer roads, netizen Avinash Kakarla said that if the Minister drove between Miyapur and Gachibowli three times, his driver would earn 12 points. “The situation of the road is very poor. Hope you understand it. Please use the same point system to identify bad roads and poor traffic management,” he said.

Ramu Surneni, another netizen, emphasised the importance of inculcating traffic sense among motorists before implementing the points system. Congress leader Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy on Wednesday spoke to M. Mahender Reddy, the Police Commissioner of Hyderabad, regarding the points system and how it could be implemented on bad roads. “The traffic police demand bribes whenever CCTV cameras are not there. Without providing parking facilities, how do you impose points?” he asked. He demanded the organisation of an all party meeting for discussion of the issue.

A. Satthi Reddy, the leader of the Telangana Auto Drivers’ Association, asked why the government had exempted RTC and SETWIN buses from adherence to rules regarding overloading.

“All ordinary buses and SETWIN buses violate the rules by allowing more commuters to board than the actual seating capacity,” he said.