Chandigarh, September 21 :
To bridge the gap between Police and the citizens of Punjab through the use of digital platforms, Punjab Police and Safety Alliance for Everyone (SAFE) Society organized a Webinar on the topic of “Traffic Management & Road Safety under the COVID-19 Pandemic”.
Disclosing this here today, ADGP Traffic Sharad Satya Chauhan said that COVID-19 pandemic has restricted the Punjab Police to interact in person with the citizens of the state while keeping them unaware about the practices adopted by Punjab Police. This Webinar was first of its kind in the country organized by Punjab Police and Safety Alliance For Everyone (SAFE) Society under ‘Safe Punjab Programme’.
While talking to Mr. Rupinder Singh, ADGP Traffic Sharad Satya Chauhan elaborated on how COVID-19 affected the Traffic Management and enforcement in present times and how it is going to shape up the future of Traffic management and Road Safety. He also thanked Mr. Dinkar Gupta, DGP, Punjab Police for his direction to reach to the general public through digital platform and Safety Alliance For Everyone (SAFE) Society for organising such an event.
He emphasised on contactless & digital methods of Policing like E-challan system, single use of straw while checking for drunk & drive and digi locker platform for checking documents.
He further informed that citizens themselves are police officers without uniform who can bring a positive change in the state fighting COVID-19. He gave a slogan of “Roko aur Toko” to be practised by each responsible citizen when they come across any traffic rule offender.
In addition, he added that Punjab Police is looking forward to implement E-Challaning system throughout the state after a successful pilot project in S.A.S. Nagar and Patiala through which a greater number of offenders can be fined for violation of traffic rules. However, through the corporate social responsibility (CSR) enough machines would be procured so that the entire state can be brought to a digital platform and all challans would be made through machines.
Sharing details, he said that the payments would be made through digital gateways. The records generated would help the Punjab police to remain strict on repeat offenders and even cancel their licences.
He told about the virtual courts for traffic offenders an initiative by the honourable Supreme Court and said that with the help of the honourable courts, Ludhiana can be taken up as a project where digital challans generated from the control room by automatic cameras would be sent to the virtual courts where e- summons can be given to offenders on the phone and they can pay the fine through digital gateways attached to the virtual courts if they do not contest.
Elaborating further, Sharad said that this would be the new addition to the challaning process and quick addressal to the problem which can be processed through digital mode. Dr. Sharad also talked about the new training paradigm and methods of enforcement with instructions to Traffic police personnel.
While answering to one of the questions asked in the session on reduction in road traffic death during lockdown period, he highlighted that engineering measures and better enforcement taken are helpful up to some extent but behaviour of the road user plays a crucial role in bringing down the road accidents. He also informed that Punjab Police dedicated Road Safety Laboratory is working in the field of Road Safety with the help of data driven policing and use of artificial intelligence.
In the end, the webinar was concluded on the note of administrative accountability and public responsibility must go hand in hand in order to have a better traffic system and safer roads during this Pandemic.
Dr. Sharad also said that each comment, query and suggestion would be addressed and in due course of time after reading them.
