Don’t violate traffic rules on ghat roads: DSP

Tirumala: The Tirumala traffic police on Saturday held an awareness meeting for private transport operators emphasising the imperative need of strictly adhering to traffic rules to prevent mishaps on ghat roads and also stressed on not to exploit the pilgrim passengers visiting the hilltop temple town for darshan of Lord Venkateswara.

Tirumala traffic DSP Kondaiah along with SIs in the meeting with a batch of taxi drivers on the hills without mincing words, said that they have to comply with the rules or else face the music.

He warned that the police will not hesitate to bar the drivers from operating their vehicles on the ghat road if they were found violating rules and flouting safety norms repeatedly on the ghat roads and wanted them to follow the rules for the safety of drivers, passengers and also the pedestrians.

Detailing the most common traffic rule violations, he told them to avoid talking on mobile phones while driving on the ghat roads, over-speeding, redlight signal jumping, overtaking of vehicles going in front which is prohibited on the ghat road and wanted them always be within speed limit and follow the traffic signal on the ghat roads.

Citing that there are about 7,000 private transport vehicles including taxis, maxi cabs, SUVs etc. ferrying pilgrims up and down, the DSP said that after APSRTC, the private vehicles carrying a major chunk of pilgrims to Tirumala while seeking their cooperation to enhance the image of Tirumala with their courteous behaviour and

friendly approach towards the pilgrims, who are the base for their livelihood.

He said often it was found the taxi drivers parking the vehicles on roadsides, busy junctions and in the cottages’ areas, hindering public movement and also other vehicles in Tirumala while stressing the drivers park their vehicles in parking lots only or in the places allotted for parking vehicles on the hills. Kondaiah said the awareness meeting would continue to cover all the drivers in batches. The meeting was a follow up to TTD, the temple management directing the traffic police to create awareness among the private transport operators on following safety rules and also avoid charging more fare from the pilgrims particularly at weekends, holiday and festive time during which the pilgrim rush will be more than one lakh.

On Friday, during the ‘Dial Your EO’ programme, a pilgrim complained to EO Dharma Reddy on taxi drivers, who behaved in a disrespectable manner from devotees, resulting in EO assuring the pilgrims that appropriate action will be taken to check taxi drivers fleecing pilgrims.