Cops crack the whip on offenders, book 391 truckers in just two days
Bhayandar : Alarmed by a series of mishaps involving heavy vehicles, the Traffic Division of Thane (rural) police claims to have initiated a special drive to keep a tab and penalize offending truckers. Three bikers have been crushed to death within two days in separate mishaps involving rashly driven water tankers.
Two days after a water tanker crushed two bike-borne youngsters near Ever-Shine City in Vasai, the death of another biker Manish Kesarwani (21), who was mowed down by a over-speeding tanker near the same spot on Saturday, has thrown spotlight on the threat posed by these ‘killer vehicles’ to motorists and pedestrians in Mira Road-Virar region.
However, apart from reckless driving, issues related to physical fitness of the vehicles need to be considered, a source pointed out.
Spills due to open lids and leakages in the tanks have become one of the reasons for accidents. The acute scarcity of water in rural parts of Thane district has intensified the movement of water tankers fleets, mostly owned by influential politicians.
“Under the instructions of SP Rajesh Pradhan, a drive is already underway to book offenders and we have issued a strict warning to water tanker operators and other transporters to ply by rules,” informed Deputy SP (Traffic) Chandrakant Joshi.
In all, 391 truckers and water tanker drivers have been booked in Kashimira and Vasai divisions in last two days for plying without helpers, 82 motorists have been for fined for using mobile phones while driving, police said.
In an attempt to enforce strict compliance of framed guidelines, a joint meeting comprising local police, RTO officers and transporters has been scheduled on Monday, officials said.
Water tanker drivers, in an attempt to undertake maximum number of trips each day, blatantly violate traffic rules and under pressure of fulfilling the task indulge into rash driving which at times end into fatal mishaps.
“There are very few convictions in such cases as we do not get witnesses. And in cases where the drivers are convicted, they are just penalised. Imprisonment is rare,” admitted a police officer.
Suresh Golani
