Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 4: The Citizens Forum for Public Concerns (CFPC) has sought firm, pragmatic and technological supported initiatives to stem the rot that has crept into unauthorized parking, traffic congestion and blatant violations of traffic rules to give some relief to the people of Jammu.
In its second webinar on issues of public concerns, the CFPC expressed deep concern on the sad state of affairs in the management of unauthorized parking on roads and service lanes within residential colonies across the city and continued violation of traffic rules.
The senior citizens argued that inadequate action by the authorities over the years have made roads and lanes extremely unsafe for people and the situation is bound to aggravate further in not- very- distant future with induction of more and more vehicles every year in the winter capital.
The CFPC has asked for deterrent punishment for violation of traffic rules including seizure/cancellation of driving licenses of habitual offenders. Use of modern technology like CCTVs with appropriate software is recommended for Traffic Police to detect violations including wrong parking and communication of the consequent challans to the offenders on their registered mobile phones to appear before the Magistrate for fine under the relevant law.
It was felt that interface of violator and traffic personnel of the road side must be eliminated along with compounding powers which is the major factor of roadside corruption which reduces the impact of the punishment on the violator.
“The Transport Department should amend its rules to restrict sale or registration of domestic vehicles only in case the prospective buyers prove availability of garages or sufficient space in the driveways in their houses for parking. Restriction on purchase of second vehicle should also be imposed” the Forum said.
It also asserted that the Building Permission Authority of JMC and JDA must amend the rules to make parking mandatory for ground floor of new constructions– residential, institutional and commercial.
Among those who put forth suggestions included Kuldeep Khoda, Dr Rajinder Singh, UK Jalali, Vinod Malhotra, B K Raina, Prem Gupta, Col Shiv Choudhary, Dr Yogeshwar Gupta, B B Magotra, Jagmohan Sharma, J S Sudan and K B Jandial.