KOCHI: Though the road management is becoming a cause for concern in the city, the traffic department is finding it difficult to do justice to their work due the dearth of staff. A proposal has been sent to the police headquarters for granting more force to the department.As the number of police is not adequate in police stations and police posts, only a few cops are assigned for traffic duty. According to sources about 30 cops in the traffic department have been posted for security work and for other duties of the higher officials. The posts for the administrative work in the police stations are vacant and the policemen are deputed to fill them. There are more than 50 additional cops required to man the traffic signals.Assistant Commissioner, Traffic, Muhammad Rafique said that the there is a severe shortage of policemen in the department.“The roads and number of vehicles on them are not the same as it was 20 years ago. The police have to be deputed in the junctions, for conducting patrolling, to charge cases and to investigate. But we don’t have enough police to handle them. We have brought this to the City Commissioner’s notice and asked him to depute some staff from the AR camp. Onam is round the corner and the traffic regulations in the wake of Metro rail construction, strengthening of staff is crucial to deal with the situation,” said Muhammad Rafique.He blamed the lethargy of the Corporation and PWD for the increasing number of accidents. “The Corporation and PWD are mute on the pathetic condition of the roads. There are potholes everywhere. The zebra crossings and dividers are invisible and hoardings and posters are erected over the signal boards. It is not the duty of the policemen to repair the roads and remove hoardings,” he said.He said that with additional police force, the traffic laws can enforced in a better way.
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