MARGAO: A traffic sentinel was caught by locals as he was taking pictures of vehicles passing by in front of BM Service Centre in Fatorda.
The angry locals verbally abused him and grabbed his cell phone. The Fatorda police were called on the scene who took the sentinel in their vehicle. No case has been registered against the sentinel.
One Rosario Fernandes who witnessed the incident stated, “Even I am a traffic sentinel, but I only complain if I feel the vehicle and driver are inconveniencing me or the public like parking on the footpath. I don’t stand on the road to catch violations like this,” he said.
Another youth who verbally abused the sentinel said, “If you don’t have any work, go and beg somewhere but don’t harass people.”
The incident raises questions over the safety of traffic sentinels. “If the traffic sentinels are assaulted, will the police take responsibility and pay compensation to the victims? Some people who don’t have a job see this as a good source of income. The police have to give such people, who want to make this a full-time job, proper ID cards and employee status,” Fernandes said.
