Par committee wants traffic police to be under Delhi govt

In the wake of last month's brutal gang-rape of a student in a moving bus, a Parliamentary Committee is in favour of bringing Delhi traffic police under the city government as it feels criminals take advantage of multiplicity of authorities.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, headed by Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury, discussed this and other aspects on Wednesday at a meeting which was attended by Delhi police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, Delhi transport commissioner and secretary of central road transport and the highways ministry and others.

"A holistic policy needs to be put into place. We are going to suggest that the traffic police must come under the Delhi government. Our report is likely to be presented to Parliament in the Budget Session," a member of the committee told PTI.

The committee is currently focusing on road safety issues across the country in the backdrop of the December 16 gang-rape.

The committee expressed concern that criminals get away taking advantage of the duality and multiplicity of the system, which is peculiar in case of Delhi where control over the police is directly with the central government, the member said.

"In Delhi's specific case, there is a very peculiar situation where the Delhi transport commissioner and the Delhi transport department lay down the rules and regulations for vehicular traffic movement but the enforcement authority of these rules is traffic police which comes under ministry of Home Affairs.

"Taking advantage of this duality, the enforcement authority – the traffic police -- says it is the Delhi administration's job and Delhi administration says that the enforcement is police's job. Between the two, criminals get away," the member said.

In the paradoxical situation, the committee had summoned the police commissioner, the Delhi transport commissioner, the Delhi traffic police chief, secretary, and the ministry of road transport and the national informatics centre officials to discuss the issues.

"One of the most important problems that we have come across is the inter-relationship between the central and the state governments. You find multiplicity of authority," the member said.

The committee would end the process of examining the issue before February 21, when the budget session of Parliament is expected to begin, the member added.

Another major suggestion of the committee would be that every single automobile producer in the country must be mandated by law to open a driving instruction school as most of the violations are due to lack of trained drivers.

Earlier, two parliamentary panels on Home and women empowerment had also looked into the gangrape issue had summoned the commissioner of police.