CANACONA: The Canacona traffic personnel’s popular ‘guerrilla tactics’ of hiding themselves behind blind curves and trees before pouncing on erring motorists have of late become a point of hot debate in Canacona taluka.
They position themselves mostly at blind curves or behind trees on the coastal internal roads at Patnem, Palolem, Devabagh and Agonda to nab motorists violating traffic rules which infact puts the life of motorists into jeopardy, in one such instance a two wheeler rider lost control and fell down as he was suddenly stopped at a curve by road law enforcement officers.
Earlier, when the traffic police personnel were positioning themselves at straight and broader spots on the road, the motorists would duck them by taking diversions through alternative roads.
To overcome this issue, the traffic personnel have invented and adopted this new strategy which puts the life and properties around in danger allege local motorists.
As recent as a week ago a two wheeler rider without wearing a head gear was suddenly stopped by traffic police at a T junction at Palolem, irked by this the rider abused the traffic personnel with filthy words, the traffic personnel retracted back over the loss of face at the busy junction, the ugly scene was witnessed by the locals, PWD officials and plumbers who were repairing a broken pipe at that time.
Local motorists, mainly two wheelers get annoyed on being suddenly stopped as there is no time to change gears or lower the speed and a quick reflex action could land up in a mishap where in both the rider and the traffic cop might get hurt local reason out.
“There should be a standard practice in the manuals of the traffic police, they should check vehicles on broader straight roads where there is time for the motorists to slow down and stop,” said Satish Paiginkar a former deputy sarpanch of Poiguinim.
“Traffic personnel should try to make the journey of motorists safe and comfortable but they hiding behind trees and curves or behind buildings is surely not a way to achieve their objectives,” said Paiginkar while trying to drive his point home.
