VISAKHAPATNAM:Next time your vehicle crosses 40 kmph in the city limits, make sure you have minimum Rs 1,000 in your pocket, for the city traffic police have decided to slap hefty fine, depending on the speed you have exceeded.
Making a move, the city traffic department has imposed speed restrictions in the city limits, particularly on the national highway and on the city outskirts. As keeping a curb on road accidents has become a Herculean task, even after making seat belt and helmet compulsory, the traffic police are now imposing speed restrictions on vehicles. As part of it, they are keeping a vigil on the vehicles within the city and outskirts as well.
According to the regulations, the speed limit from the city outskirts (towards Vijayawada) to Lankelapalem is 60 kmph, from Lankelapalem to Paradesipalem is 40 kmph and Paradesipalem to the city outskirts (towards Srikakulam) is 60 kmph. While the speed on city bypass road (Anakapalle to Anandapuram highway) has been restricted to 50 kmph, vehicles should not cross 30 kmph from Fishing Harbour to Tenneti Park, as there are residential colonies on the coastal stretch, and 40 kmph from Tenneti Park to Bheemili.
“Apart from the helmet and seat belt rule, restricting the speed could control the road accidents. Hence, the speed limit on national highway and within the city limits has been restricted to 40 kmph,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (traffic) K Mahendra Patrudu. A minimum of Rs 1,000 will be imposed as fine for any violation, he added.
To monitor the speed, a mobile van with ‘laser speed gun’ has been deployed on roads, which would take pictures and record the speed of the vehicles. The van would be monitored by two policemen, who would intercept a vehicle, if it violates the speed limit, at the nearest cut-off and take action against the offenders.
“Even if the violators manage to escape, we would send the penalty slip to his/her residence, as the laser gun would take a snap of the vehicle. Right now, we have only one mobile van, which would roam around the city. In the coming days, we would, however, deploy more mobile vans or fix laser guns at major traffic junctions,” the ADCP said. The police would keep strict vigil at major thoroughfares, since many complaints have been received about students vrooming on bikes/cars at high speeds, he added.