PANJIIM: The much-touted Traffic Sentinel Scheme is facing a threat following the tension in Shiroda wherein a huge mob gheraoed and threatened a shop owner for reporting traffic violations to the Goa Police.
Amidst many volunteers contemplating to opt out of the scheme fearing identity leak, the department has appealed to the people to help them curb traffic offences.
“Goa Police has launched the Traffic Sentinel Scheme with a sole aim to create traffic sense and reduce motor vehicle accidents and fatalities. To achieve the task, cooperation and participation from members of public is of utmost importance. In the past, few incidences of threatening are reported by Traffic Sentinels. It is appealed to the members of the public that instead of resorting to such wrong action they should ensure that while on road they abide all traffic laws in the interest of their own safety and that of other road users,” said a press statement issued by the Goa Police through Directorate of Information & Publicity.
The department explained that the App is designed in such a way that photograph, video of defaulting vehicle cannot be imported from external sources like CCTV, mobile gallery etc. but it has to be clicked or recorded through the App only.
A mobile shop owner in Shiroda Bazaar, who was suspected of providing the Goa Police CCTV images of traffic rule violators, was forced to shut down his business and vacate his rented shop last weekend. Irate locals had stormed the shop suspecting the owner was reporting traffic offences to the police as a result of which hundreds of traffic violators were issued challans.
A newly-formed group has taken up the issue alleging that the mob was instigated by some local politicians to garner public support for a false cause. “The police stood as meek witnesses to the entire ruckus and tired to reason out with the mob, but did not take any action. The almost violent mob was threatening to burn down the shop and the police could have either ordered a lathi charge or made some arrests, but did nothing. The shop-owner has alleged that the entire incident was blown out of proportion by local politicians and insisted that he was innocent. He claims that he has not sent any footage or images to the Traffic Police Department and is not connected with the Traffic Sentinel Scheme at all,” the Forum for Goans of Non-Goan Origin said.
Several volunteers have expressed fear to continue as Traffic Sentinels owing to the disturbing incident.
