Vehicle Ban Not Strictly Enforced during Lockdown! City Cops are Too Soft on Violating Motorists

Vehicle Ban Not Strictly Enforced during Lockdown! City Cops are Too Soft on Violating Motorists

Mangaluru: Despite the stern warning by District Administration and Police Commissioner Dr P S Harsha that the use of private vehicles until the 14th of April has been banned, and any such vehicle found violating the lockdown regulations in the City will be seized immediately. It was suggested that residents will have to walk to the nearest essential service store for any purchase. All seized private vehicles will be handed over back to their owners only after the end of the lockdown period. This comes in the wake of the government being criticized for not enforcing the lockdown strictly in Mangaluru to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The lockdown is part of the central government’s efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus in the country, PM Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown starting from the 24th of March 2020.

As part of the lockdown, all operations apart from essential services have been shut down. Only essential services such as groceries, hospitals, police, food delivery personnel and ambulances are allowed on the roads. The decision to ban and seize the use of private vehicles during the lockdown is a good step in ensuring residents stay at home and stay safe. The ban on private vehicles also acts as a strong deterrent for many who violate lockdown regulations as well. But if you look at the vehicles plying on streets even after the ban has been imposed, clearly shows that motorists of Mangaluru are kind of ignorant or if they get caught violating the ban orders, they know how to get out of it, through influence or other means.

Ever since the total ban of vehicle on streets during lockdown was imposed, the police have seized over 800 vehicles and booked motorists for allegedly “misusing the leniency shown to them to buy essentials”. – and in many cases have returned the vehicles back to the owners. When you see on media or TV channels,a s to how the police in other countries or even in major cities crackdown and punish the traffic violators, compared to them our city cops are very liberal and have softened their stance towards collection of hefty fines for traffic violations during this lockdown period. If you look at the streets during the morning hours, you can find a bunch of vehicles in front of City markets, grocery stores, supermarkets, medical shops etc- which is a total abuse of vehicle ban order issued by the dist admin and police department.

On the other hand, citizens are confused and upset, while the dist admin has allowed shops to keep open from 7 am till 12 noon to buy essentials/commodities- and simultaneously put total restrictions on use of private vehicles, “which makes no sense at all”, say residents- and also that there are many seniors who can’t walk long distance to buy essentials, and for them transportation is a must. “This vehicle ban law is too confusing and foolish” anger many citizens. A senior police officer speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “The city police had warned people to follow the directions and stay at home, but many are moving around in their two-wheelers and cars citing fake emergencies. Our appeals have not worked and so we have decided to seize vehicles.”

Police Commissioner Dr Harsha seeing the increase in vehicle seizure had directed the police to intensify the drive. “It was noticed that people were leaving their houses in their vehicles and giving silly excuses. Citizens should respect the lockdown, and in case of an emergency walk to your grocer,” he had tweeted. Many families are upset with the police’s decision. “We’ve been isolating ourselves at home and not buying in bulk. But we are a family of four with two children. I need to buy my weekly groceries. Without the car, I will have to make multiple trips to the market to carry grains, wheat, vegetables and kitchen staples,” said a elderly lady, who is teacher by profession.

Team Mangalorean has also noticed that many a times the cops are not doing their job right, who are stationed at the various check points- either they will be busy with browsing or chatting on their mobiles or reading newspapers- and vehicles slide through barricades without being stopped. Then why even have this vehicle ban, if police are careless in performing their duties. Yesterday, DCP (law and order) Arunangshu Giri, ACP (Traffic) Manjunath Shetty and other senior police officers made surprise checks at the check posts, and instructed the cops on duty to perform their duties the right way in checking for motorists with no valid passes/permits etc. Whether the cops adhered to the seniors orders, is just another story?

The other big headache for the cops is to listen to the various excuses which the motorists give, to escape from being penalized. There is always tension, relief and occasional confusion as motorists at various police checkpoints tell their stories, hoping to be let through. Of the vehicles police had stopped, they included a person making an emergency hospital visit, a motorcyclist off for a follow-up appointment regarding a “serious?” health problem, a boy friend taking his girl friend to her hospital work place, where she has a pass, and he doesn’t- and these are some of the excuses/stories that the cops have to think and consider, before they make a firm decision whether to let them go or slap them with a case.

No matter what, the vehicle ban in Mangaluru is NOT working RIGHT! Either the cops have to enforce the RULE very STRICTLY with no leniency or allow the vehicles to ply during the shopping hours to buy essentials between 7 am and 12 noon or abolish the vehicle ban rule, for good until covid-19 lockdown ends..It’s been like a drama every single day, where you see motorists get stopped by cops, they get warned,and the same motorists are back on the streets again. To these people, I say, “Unless you have good reason to go out, you need to stay home, instead of making the life of a police man more stressful with your ignorance. People should realize that Checkpoints have been set up to ensure people don’t make any unnecessary travel. Period”.