A beginning has been made with ace batsman Virender Sehwag, whose message, “Please follow traffic rules, stick to your lane”, plays in between popular songs on FM channels.
“Sehwag has joined this project in educating people on traffic sense. We expect it to have an impact and people will become responsible in the coming months. We hope to get more celebrities,” Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Ajay Chadha told IANS.
Apart from the awareness campaign, the traffic police is spreading its ’safe traffic’ message through social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. Delhi Traffic Police has a profile on these two websites, which is visited by many people.
“We have more than 6,600 ( Now over 10,000) followers on Facebook now. By the time the Games commence, we are expecting around 20,000 followers. We think that by opening a dialogue with people, things can work more effectively and swiftly,” he added.
The traffic police is beefing up to reach its sanctioned strength of 5,500 personnel before the Games, including 300 woman traffic cops, who have joined recently. In addition to this, 200 motorcycle patrols will also be added.
“Three hundred lady cops have been added in the past few months, especially in the new and central Delhi parts. We are also getting 200 Pulsar bikes to strengthen the chase and challan (fine violators) initiative. We would reach our sanctioned strength of 5,500 personnel before the CWG,” Chadha said.
This apart, there would be dedicated lanes, or lanes reserved on major roads, that connect to Games-related venues will be used by cars and buses ferrying athletes and delegates.
Thirty-six roads that fall on the Games Route - from the airport to the Games Village in east Delhi - will be changed to dedicated lanes for the event
The reserved lanes will be on the right side of the road and earmarked by broad blue bands that will also have the Commonwealth Games logo.
Among the 36 roads are Parade Road, National Highway 8 ‘T’ point, Safdarjung Road, Lodhi Road, Aurobindo Road and Mathura Road.
The plan for dedicated lanes was drawn up by Ramesh Narayanaswami, special advisor to the Delhi government on the Games, and was approved by Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna.
The traffic police plan to impose heavy fines on vehicles trespassing into the Games’ lanes.
For normal traffic, yellow arrows painted on the roads will indicate the alternate routes they are to take. However, traffic police say that all the Games lanes will not be blocked at the same time during the event.
The Delhi Traffic Police has drawn up plans to educate drivers about the dedicated Games lanes and on the need for lane discipline.
“In the coming weeks, we will launch initiatives to educate drivers on lane management for the Games lanes,” Chadha said.
“Similar drives to enforce lane driving, especially for giving way to emergency vehicles related to the Games, will also be launched,” he added.
Another plan to manage traffic is to have rumble strips on flyovers near dedicated lanes. “There will be rumble strip speed breakers to slow descending traffic on flyovers adjoining the reserved lane,” the official added.
Traffic police and road authorities like the Public Works Department and Municipal Corporation of Delhi have been asked to appoint officers to visit all lane change and problem areas, according to the plan to manage traffic.
The PWD and MCD will also be responsible for carrying out the lane markings on roads and ensure they remain intact through the monsoon and the Games period, the plan says.
According to Chadha, a number of programmes have been started to create awareness about the lanes. “The main goal behind them is to create awareness among the citizens of Delhi to follow traffic rules and lane management before the Games,” Chadha said
Over 100,000 visitors are expected in the city during the Games. With all the plans ready, the Delhi Traffic Police is confident of ensuring smooth flow of traffic during the October Commonwealth Games.