Commuters stuck in jams as cops go missing

There is no chance of traffic cops not attending to their duty as everyone joins duty at about 8 am.

City commuters are facing trouble at signals due to the lack of traffic police officials at junctions like Suryanagar, Karkhana and Nagaram. Commuters were struck in a traffic jam for over half an hour during peak hour traffic. The commuters demand that at least one traffic cop must be deployed in every cross roads from 8 am to 10 am to avoid traffic congestion.

Venkata Yogi Sreedhar, a private employee said, “While going to office along the Nagaram — Dammaiguda stretch, there is normally a traffic constable. But on Tuesday, absence of a traffic cop only added to the chaos and there was a traffic jam that lasted 15 minutes. Later, when I reached Suryanagar, Karkhana the situation was no different and I was stuck in a jam that lasted 15 minutes. Though there were traffic cops, he could not control the situation immediately. I request traffic officials to post at least one traffic constable during peak hours every day.”

Another commuter under condition of anonymity said, “If they had gone somewhere, it is dereliction of duty. The department cannot keep a tab on everyone and can only give them a warning. It is upto the people to check with them.”

However, inspector of police (Traffic), Marredpally K. Chandrashekar Reddy said, “There is no chance of traffic cops not attending to their duties in the morning as everyone joins duty at about 8 am. We frequently conduct checks to ensure everything is alright. He might have gone to attend nature’s call or drink water at that time.” A 16-year-old girl student and a 34-year-old businessman were killed in two separate road accidents at Shameerpet and Vanasthalipuram respectively during the early hours on Wednesday.

At about 6.30 am, three women travelling on a bike from Lalapet were hit from the rear by a speeding auto. The woman identified as Sirisha, 20, who was riding the bike lost control and the bike skid and in the with the road, the bike caught fire.

Sirisha’s younger sister Bhargavi, 16, an intermediate student was run over by a lorry and died on the spot, while their grandmother Lachamma, 55, received major injuries.

Shameerpet sub-inspector Md Abdul Razak said, “The bike’s rear wheel came under the left rear tyre of a truck. Despite the bike catching fire, none of them received burn injuries. Lachamma has been admitted to Gandhi Hospital and her condition is said to be critical.”

Mr Razak added that a case has been registered against the auto driver for causing death due to rash and negligent driving. Action will be taken against him after he gets discharged from the hospital.

In another incident on Wednesday, a drunk software engineer, Bhavya Tej Reddy from Hayathangar and his friend Rahim, were heading towards Hayathnagar from Vanasthalipuram in an SUV. The techie lost control of the car and rammed it into a shop near Deer Park.

The car was travelling at high speed and stopped only after climbing a cement block set up to protect the saplings planted on the roadside.

One Bhavya Singh, 34, standing near the shop and died on the spot and Mansingh, Ramsingh and Eshwar Lal received critical injuries. The victims hail from Rajasthan and migrated to the city recently.

Vanasthalipuram subinspector Ch. Sudhakar Rao said, “A case has been registered against the driver under Sections 304 B, 337 and 109 r/w 34 of IPC. He will be produced in court for judicial remand.”