Following up on the Transportation Work Group meeting last weekend, Praja will be meeting Mr Praveen Sood, ACP (Traffic). The meeting is tentatively scheduled at 10:30 AM, 26th July (this Saturday).
Mr Praveen Sood, a 1987 batch IPS officer is an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore.
Members can participate in this event either by joining the team that will meet Mr Sood or by posting suggestions and question here so that we can take them up with Mr Praveen Sood. We may not be able to accomodate more than 8-10 people, so we will have to pick if more than than many want to come.
This being our first meeting with Mr Praveen Sood or with the Bangalore Traffic Police, let us try and understand them - their views, policies, difficulties in handling problems, their interactions with other bodies (BBMP, BDA, RTO), issues around their jurisdictions etc.
Let us not be confrontational. Our basic philosophy should be to study the current model, understand its drawbacks and suggest feasible changes. I suggest in this meeting we gather information from Mr Sood regarding these issues, put them up here and work out solutions. Praja’s strength is in understanding current models and suggesting changes backed up with good research.
Your questions could also focus on BTRAC project, in which Mr Praveen Sood happens to be a key person.
If you have any suggestion on how we could build a working relationship with the traffic police please post them here.
-Rithesh (with inputs from Praveen)
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Comments
I am in
Thanks for setting this up Rithesh. I am in.
Don't know if this meeting will be ripe for this many questions, but over time, I want to understand how they work and what their issues are. We never get to hear their side. Without that, how can one even make suggestions. We want to know things like:
- Manpower - need vs what they have
- Bangalore traffic police's budget tday vs 5 and 10 years ago.
- What statistical methods do they emplo. Like: Do they look at PCU (vehicle density) when deciding to putting extra cops on certain roads
- How is the performance of Traffic cops monitored? What 'real' incentives do the traffic cops have to perform well or do anything pro-active?
- Range or diferential in pay between the lowest rung cop, and the top most people.
- Any plans to make FIR/complaints registeropen and public over Internet for all to see?
- How current are RTO databases (vehicle registration number to owner's address linkage)? Who owns this database? Who owns the Drivers License database? By who I mean which person or entity
- What is their mechanism of working with vehicle insurance companies
- Working conditions of cops - pollution, risk, working hours
Okay, I realize the list isn't small :) A lot of this information should already be open and public, but can't readily find them.Some questions from me
Is there a way to figure out from Mr Sood who are the organizations responsible for the following 3 functions and how they coordinate between themselves.
1. Traffic Planning - Where roads will be built and how wide and how many lanes they will have etc.
2. Traffic Engineering - Road markings, dividers, cats eyes, signage, buffer/center/turn lanes etc.
3. Traffic Enforcement - monitoring and imposing fines
My assumption is that traffic police is only responsible for the 3rd but I think there are some activities falling in 1 and 2 also being done by them what are those?
- What is the contribution of the traffic police on traffic engineering?
- Do they have plans to ask and take on traffic engineering responsibilities?
- Who regulates traffic schools and do they have any say on the licensing procedure?
- Why dont they have laws to impound licenses?
- What will it take to insert into law arrests for multiple traffic violations? Do they have plans to do the above?
- Who are they working with to have training on traffic rules imparted?
The last point is important because Mr sood on Radio Indigo today when asked by the host if the violations are a result of inadequate knowledge or lack of application responded that he didnt believe the people in silicon city do not know the rules. I am sorry but we cant assume everybody in Silicon City have gone abroad and driven in better managed countries. Especially the yellow board mafia.
Great Job
Good Job Rithesh setting up such a meeting.
Some questions that could be included.
1. Driver training (in terms of civic sense - respect for the other road users including pedestrians) - does anybody pay any attention to this or are drivers even taught about it?
2. Feasibility of Drivers Licenses of different grades - learners, secondary roads, highways etc. (following models of other countries - Germany, Canada, UK etc.)
3. Since possibly 90% or more of vehicles on Indian Roads are driven by non-owners, are/can owners/contractors (in case of contract vehicles such as cabs, trucks, buses etc.) be held responsible for the actions of the driver?
All the Best to all who attend.
Ram
My 2 paise!
I'm going out of town this Saturday, so can't make it. Would have loved to though.
Two Simple Qs:
> What can we (@ Praja) do to help these guys better manage us?!!!
> Ask them to list 5 biggest issues / problems they wish they had solutions for right now...
Have a quite a few other questions / comments, but I think if we ask them these first, we may get some unbiased answers. We might get to know something we might otherwise overlook.
Thanks,
Ravi
traffic marshals
Would like to check with him if he would like to try out my 'traffic marshals' idea - click on
http://bangalore.praja.in/blog/silkboard/2007/12/18/how-do-you-react#com...
Muralidhar Rao
Traffic Warden - Similar programme
Muralidharavare,
I had sometime back suggested a similar programme of hiring ex-servicemen as traffic wardens. They could be funded by a cess on all petrol and diesel sold within BBMP limits. Atleast 20 wardens per ward is a good way to go ahead.
marshals
Cadambi avare'
Marshals idea is a lot different from the 'warden' programme currently on, as also the one suggested by you. If you go through the text, you'll understand. I would like to believe that this will have a better impact than the others - it's of course just an opinion.
Muralidhar Rao
Citizen Volunteering
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore
Nobody coming?
left/right turn lane only
was heading to office today and always met with heavy traffic..one thing that was glaringly missing was proper road signs..
on HAL airport road they are trying to impose restrictions on right turn..near murugeshpalya and manipal hospital..by carving out a makeshift lane with cones..but instead we can have more signs like above and anyone outside the lane will be blatantly fined..as simple as that..
atleast then our folks will start to respect lanes...as of now many free left turns are always blocked by BMTC busses or autos..and if questioned they give a 'i cant help' look...this needs to stop!
Thanks SB for that emotional blackmail!
Count me in but if some one comes along who can talk more intelligently than I can on the subject, I will be happy to yield my place.
Few of my wish list
Well, most of the violators get away by bribing the cops .. I know this is direct to take up in front of Praveen Sood, to avoid this a percentage based commission for fining should be introduced along with heavy fines. Usually people getaway by paying 50-100 rupees to cops. If the comission itself is 200 rupees and prizes of fining 'N' number of offenders, thjen cops will become really strict and department can also earn revenues. People will be afraid to drive on Bangalore roads and become more disciplined in the process.
Fine should be more for violators than for the document checking. Most of the violators who are truck and cab drivers have their documents intact.
Introduction of barricades as done on highways during night times on the ring roads and other spatial roads near intersections to slow down the speeding cabs.
Replacement of Indica with Nano for call centre cabs once it is introduced. I came to know from Tata Motors that it is a 5 seater. Indicas are very powerful and driven by not so educated and public concious cab drivers as I discussed in one of my previous posts.
Replacement of 180 second wait time signals with 90 second wait time signals especially on the ORR since it leads to frustation and then chaos.
First and foremost thing enforcing lane discipline.
Introduction of monitoring cameras and ticketing system.
Better Zebra Crossings and Pedestrain road crossing facilities.
I will check if I can make it for meeting. I will update by tomorrow evening.
My List with Basic Points
few basic points from my side:
1: Any plan to curb meance created by vehicles with yellow number plate..why is that our traffic police seems helpless in booking challans..is there any pressure from transport lobby..if it is there what is the road ahead. Also, why BMTC has been given free hand to rule on the bangalore Road. Do they have any respect for Traffic Rule.
2. Why do we spend so much money in lane marking when we don't have will to enforce lane discipline.
3: Why do our "traffic inspectors" are subjected to in-human treatment by making them stand on the busy traffic junction for long hours to breathe air filled with smoke and dust and sometime under rain. Why don't we have any faith in automated traffic management and make our "Traffic Inspectors" to just deal with traffic violators with zero tolerance.
4: what would be average speed of the traffic when vehicles of all kind and type fight for same road space. Do we have any rule which says that slow moving vehicle should move in left most lane.
5: Why is that all the bus stops just after the traffic signal to pick and drop passengers. Do we have any plan to deal with such issue.
6: Why is that we are centuries behind in traffic management as compared to other developed countries. DO we have any concrete plan to become "model" city in India as far as Traffic Management is concerned.
7: Why is the 30-40% road lights are always damaged on any road.
Traffic Police + BMTC + Autos under one body
First of all, I am interested in coming along for the meeting if accomodatable.
Now my views. As the heading goes, i would like to see one body streamlining the way Traffic police, BMTC and Auto Riks work in Bangalore. All these should work in tandem
There should be more emphasis on usage of public transport and for this Traffic police need to create special rules and lanes for BMTC. and BMTC should improve their service with more buses and following strict timings.
1)I would like Bangalore to be divided into 5 different zones(N, E, W, S and Central) There should be buses connecting each zone to other zones plying every 15 mins. And these special buses should be non-stop. Then all Autos should be confined to their zones only. (may be colour code them). This will also solve the problem of Autos rejecting to go to the place u want to. Traffice police will play a major role in facilitating this.
2) Can traffic police be given authority/responsibility to raise a complaint of any damaged road (huge potholes, damaged footpaths etc) so that the roads are atleast repaired temporarily and quickly.
3) Why are BMTC buses not penalised for traffic violation?
I got more points, and will add in a later post..
I agree with the point that Traffic police should more concentrate on catching the violaters and all the junctions should have automated signals.
meeting with Sood
wher is the location of this meeting
please provide all details
Srinath Heragu
I wish to join
I would like to join if space is available. This is going to be a terrific meeting with a lot of questions/ideas/solutions and am pretty sure the team that participates will get a greater understanding of Mr. Sood and his team's perspectives.
The 2 biggest issues that i want answers for are - what is the primary focus/mandate of their team? Is it enforcement or (just) traffic management. It looks to me that they have abandoned both and are just about allowing traffic to detoriate. The second is what would they want from concerned citizens like us - in terms of our participation. Other points are covered in the responses from friends here.
Wishing
Its on + attendee list
We are on. 10:30 am (morning), Venue: Mr Sood's office at: BMTC Complex 2nd Floor, Shivajinagar Bus Stand, Bangalore-560057
Atttendee list:
Sure: Rithesh, SB, Murali sir, vvr, namma_nadu, VishalMaharaj.
Not sure: ssheragu, Vasanth, who else?
The not sure guys, confirm fast.
I will make it
Will be joining in too
-- PhotoYogi
Meeting with Sood
Hai Guys
Sorry that this time I have another engagement (important) planned.
So I won't be able to make it.
anyhow if ACP, Sood, can set right a few things I have a few suggestions
(1) ensuring minimum educational qulification (PUC Pass ) for even the juniormost in the police force
(2) eliminating the practice of policemen & constables working in the residences of senior polce officers
(3) levying of fines for traffic defaulters and part of the same being diverted to a policemen's welfare fund
(4) improving the working conditions & living conditions of policemen by providing excellent housing, subsidised canteen facilities and tereby eliminating corruption in the police force
(5) laying of underground cables, removing eletric poles & telephone poles for more traffic & pedesrtrian space
(6) concretistaion of a few important roads to start with & followed by the same for all roads
(7) identification / construction of arterial roads with no signal lights
Thanks
Srinath Heragu
Any Update on Today's meeting with ACP Sood !
Anyupdates on today's meeting with Mr. Sood, ACP?