HYDERABAD: At Mehdipatnam Junction, under the PVNR Expressway, wrapped around a pillar is a blue on white slogan: ‘This is a copless junction, violators will be penalised at the next junction’. It may sound and appear funny, but over the next two years, this is likely to become the norm in Hyderabad as all the road junctions will become copless.
Though junctions will not have policemen in white regulating traffic, at some places even in the presence of traffic signals, the ‘copless’ junctions will be monitored by surveillance cameras as well as plain clothes policeman. As a pilot run, the concept is being implemented at 10 junctions in the city.
“We want to create an awareness among vehicle riders regarding rules and regulations that will help us in implementing this plan of copless monitoring. However, a policeman in plainclothes will be posted at every junction and he will keep a vigil on violators and record vehicle numbers. If any vehicle user is involved in violating traffic rules, the policeman in mufti will alert another policeman posted at the next traffic junction where the violator will be detained and issued a challan for violation,” explained Jitender, Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic.
Jitender, who visited various countries, noticed that all junctions in foreign countries function without traffic police monitoring actively and that was possible only when vehicle users are aware of traffic rules and regulations.
But, can copless junctions give results in a city like Hyderabad with congested streets?
“Why not? When we introduced cashless challan system, many raised eyebrows. We took it as a challenge and it is being implemented successfully. I am confident that in the next two years, Hyderabad will become a copless junction city and it will be first in the country to do so,” Jitender told Express.
Meanwhile, as part of the ‘copless’ junctions project, traffic policemen are being deployed at pre-decided traffic junctions to create awareness about the project.
The traffic police would also explain vehicle riders regarding challan and penal action for violation of traffic rules. Higher officials of the traffic wing are also conducting review meetings with Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), inspectors and sub-inspectors to get feedback from vehicle riders.
The 10 junctions identified for copless junction project are KBR Park, Punjagutta, MJ Market, Taj Krishna, Telugu Talli Flyover and others.