Srinagar, Apr 7: In violation of High Court orders, tippers zoom across some City areas during daytime drawing flak from people who accuse police of failing to check the offence.
 For the past nearly five years, there’s a blanket ban on the movement of heavy vehicles particularly tippers during daytime in the summer capital. They are to be allowed entry into the City but only between 8:30 PM to 6 AM.
 But, in contravention of the Court orders, there have been frequent complaints of tippers moving during daytime in areas like Bemina, Barzulla, Sanat Nagar and Chattabal.
 The locals have been demanding strict action against the erring tipper drivers.
 Recently, the residents of Bemina took to streets demanding the strict enforcement of No-Entry timings.
 “Movement of tippers have made our life miserable. We are afraid of letting our children out of homes because the tippers move at a high speed,” the Bemina residents had said.
 Similar are the complaints of Chattabal residents.  While recalling an incident, the locals said they had tried to catch hold of a driver but he managed giving a slip.
 “But while escaping, the tipper hit a building damaging its wall,” said a local Rouf Ahmed while showing the cracks in a residential house.
 The traffic police admits there could be “some isolated cases of trespass.”
  “We won’t totally refute the complaints as there could be some isolated cases of daytime trespass,” said a senior Traffic police official requesting not to be named.
 He said the “erring drivers were using interior roads links to escape the police eye.”
 The police said there were no less than 50 entry points to the City adding that due to shortage of workforce it wasn’t unable man the entry points effectively.
 “For effective deployment at the entry points we need at least three cops at each site. But due to shortage of workforce we can’t manage doing it everywhere,” the official said.
 He said the “ideal solution” was that Roads and Building Department constructs Road Barriers at-least 20 such locations at places like Bemina, Chattabal, Barzulla and Hyderpora so that the movement of the trucks could be prevented.
 “At the rest of the locations we can manage policing,” he said.
 When contacted the Superintendent of Police, Shokat Shah said the police was trying to prevent any violation of the sort adding that the drive against the offenders would be intensified.
 “No violation of law will be allowed,” the SP told Greater Kashmir.

Numberless menace
As per the complainants, the tipper movement doesn’t come without risk to public life even at night because most of the load carriers are seen plying without a number plate.
 This means, in case of a mishap, if the accused driver manages escape along with the vehicle, his involvement could go unchecked.
 “It’s impossible to trace the vehicle if it doesn’t bear a number plate and manages escape?” says a lawyer.
 Interestingly, some days ago, on finding many tippers without number-plates at Hyderpora square a civilian walked to some cops standing there to inform them about the mischief.
 But their response was negative. “We are not here to check number-plates,” the cops told the man.
 In the evenings when the restrictions are lifted 500 tippers zoom across the City streets making entry from points like Mehjoor Chowk, Hyderpora, Parimpora and Zakura.

Ideal solution is that Roads and Building Department constructs Road Barriers at-least 20 such locations at places like Bemina, Chattabal, Barzulla interiors and Hyderpora.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 8 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST