Team Herald
PONDA: Claiming that the traffic sentinel scheme has become popular in other States, Goa Police launched the scheme in Goa, in 2017, to imbibe traffic discipline among motorists and to book traffic violations.
But one year down the line, the scheme is facing stiff opposition from the public and the sentinels are targeted for reporting traffic violation through a mobile app.
Though the identity of the sentinels are kept secret by the police, people have been targeting anyone seen clicking photos on their mobile phones, standing by the roadside.
Several people have complained that they have received challans demanding fine of Rs 100 and to pay the same they have to waste a full day. “This is not only a waste of time, but also is harassment,” a motorist, who received a challan, said.
A month ago, in a major incident, over 800 Shiroda villagers who had received challans targeted a mobile shop owner on suspicion that he was the sentinel behind the issuance of over the challans. Incidentally, most of the 800 traffic violations occurred near the mobile shop and this was a clue that the mobile shop owner acted as a sentinel. Angered that the mobile shop owner caused them harassment, hundreds of Shiroda villagers manhandled the ‘sentinel’ and forced him to shut down his shop.
In a similar incident, a traffic sentinel was manhandled for clicking photos of traffic violations near Margao municipal garden.
On Wednesday, a traffic sentinel volunteer who was reporting traffic violations in Vasco became a victim of mob assault.
The police might have made rules to keep the identities of sentinels a secret, but from the information available on the challans and observing the position and place of photos, the violators keep vigil and identify sentinels while clicking photos. Once their cover is blown off, the sentinels become targets.
Motorists say that since the challans are issued six months after the commission of the violation, the traffic sentinel scheme totally failed to achieve its objective of imbibing among motorists, the habit of wearing helmets.
Thousands of two-wheeler riders are seen riding in Ponda without helmets, as it has now become a habit for them to travel in the town without the headgears, due to the relaxation granted for the past so many years.
For many years, traffic police were not issuing challans in Pond; but after the sentinel scheme was introduced, many have started receiving challans suddenly and this has made the public furious.
The people say that they have no time to stand in long queue to pay the challans. “I will have to waste a whole day to pay the challan,” a man complained and said spot challan would not create such problems.
In Ponda, traffic police are playing the role of spectators; they do not issue challans for not wearing helmets. And the sentinels, who report such violations, have become villains in the eyes of the public and are becoming targets of violators.
People are of the opinion that that sentinels should not do the job of the police. “A civilian should not spy on other civilians,” a Ponda resident said.
Of late, there is a demand that the sentinels should be given traffic police uniform and be absorbed into government service to prevent attacks them.
Many ask: “Why sentinels do not expose the wrong doings of PWD engineers and contractors for pothole ridden roads, non-painting of speed breakers, absence of sign boards, speed limit boards etc?”
Adv Ramdas Gaude said that civilians doing the job of the police would create law and order situation. “It appears that rights of police are given to civilians; this is not fair in terms of law,” he said.
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Scheme creating social unrest: Cong
MAPUSA: The North Goa District Congress Committee has expressed concern about the traffic sentinel scheme launched by the Goa Traffic Police claiming that it is creating social unrest. The Congress has threatened to greet the traffic cops with black flags if the scheme is not withdrawn. North Goa District Congress Committee President Vijai Bhike said that this scheme is creating unrest among the people of Goa and needs to be stopped. “The main aim of this scheme was to regulate traffic flow and bring about discipline among commuters. There is no provision made for parking and signal from the revenue generated through this scheme. The entire road infrastructure in Goa is in shambles and the traffic sentinel scheme has become a racket. These volunteers are keeping an eye on the drivers even in the most remote corners of Goa,” Bhike stated.
