Hyder Ali
Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 15: Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Maqsood-uz-Zaman, who has been on the forefront of crusade against "visible offences" among drivers in the summer capital was here Sunday caught cycling in a marathon without the mandatory safety helmet.
In a bid to promote cycling, Sunrise in Kashmir, a social group in collaboration with the office of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir had organized a 10-mile marathon titled Pedalon on the Boulevard, this morning, while government had made it mandatory for the participants to wear safety helmets.
As hundreds of participants, including schoolchildren, office-goers and celebrities, poured in at SKICC for the flag-off of the sporting event, all of them were wearing the helmets. Those, particularly children, not wearing helmets were asked to go back as "violation of safety norms would send a wrong message."
But MaqsoodUzZaman, who was among the participants, remained conspicuous for not wearing the safety gear. As the DIG Central Kashmir flagged off the race, the news of SSP Traffic having violated the norms spread like wildfire.
In no time, the top brass of police got to know about the violation. Officials said a show cause notice has been shot to the SSP to explain as to why action should not be taken against him for having "brazenly violated the rules of safe driving."
"If traffic police behaves so, what will masses particularly schoolchildren learn from us, that too when we have been unmistakably strict in initiating action against visible offences including roadside parking of vehicles and not wearing of helmets," the officials said.
Zaman is often seen as "hard-task master", who rarely accepts pleas like "sorry, uncle or bhaiya" from offenders of traffic norms. Earlier this year during a special drive, the Traffic Police Srinagar, within two months seized a "record number of 168 vehicles" while 1,812 were fined.
Seen among the most disciplined officials, Zaman subsequently introduced "Dabangg" stickers to intensify measures for traffic regulation and safe driving, alike in the City.
The Traffic Police has since been pasting the "Dabangg stickers" mostly on the cars found wrongly parked while the driver is bound to visit the office of SSP Traffic to pay fine, coupled with a lecture on "safe driving." But today it was a different scene.
A senior official in the divisional administration, however, said the SSP Traffic was to be blamed. "The cycles for the participating dignitaries including him(Zaman) were given by Tourism department but without helmets. So how is he to be blamed when we requested him to participate for the encouragement of the participants particularly schoolchildren who are fond of Dabang style policing?" the official asked.
But ignorance of law is no excuse. Talking to Early Times, the IGP Traffic ShafqatWatali confirmed that his department has taken cognizance of the matter. "This should definitely not have happened," Watali said. He said a notice was being served to Zaman to explain his position. |
