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Securing the safety of traffic sentinels

The Traffic Sentinel Scheme allows the public to report traffic violations through social media or email. And while it has witnessed an enthusiastic response, how safe is it for these traffic sentinels?

JAY JOSHI | FEBRUARY 18, 2018, 06:00 PM IST
Securing the safety of traffic sentinels



Being a popular tourist destination, Goa is flooded with people, and of course vehicles. Similarly, the state also has one of the highest proportions of per capita vehicles in the country. Estimates suggest that while the state’s population is about 18,50,000, the number of vehicles stands at around 13,00,000. Additionally, the state receives tourists almost double the amount of its population. Getting this huge number of people on wheels to comply with traffic rules is a tough task. Thus, in order to ensure public participation in ensuring road-safety, the Goa police launched its Traffic Sentinel Scheme a few months ago.  

While ensuring people’s participation in policing the streets, the scheme has also raised hopes for a better and safer Goa. “It’s a good scheme,” says Ponda-based social worker Pramod Sawant. “It ensures public participation and needs less police force to enforce. There is no investment. However, a major cause of concern is the security of the sentinel. In the past people have attacked a sentinel and tried to discourage him. The government has to ensure the security of traffic sentinels.” Sawant suggests that reward money and certificate could be given to people online instead of making them famous as this could be counterproductive.  

Police officials too stand in praise of the scheme and state that they are aware of the need to protect the sentinels. “Those who are guilty of traffic violations should not abuse the sentinels. This behaviour will not work for long,” informs DYSP (Traffic) North Goa, Dharmesh Angle. “The police stands firmly with the sentinels, and abusing the sentinels will be held as a cognizable offense.”  

Dilip Naik, the founder of Goa Road Safety Forum partly agrees with this position, and adds that Traffic Sentinels Scheme might be a phase in the long journey to safer roads. “People need to follow rules. Police cannot be everywhere. That is where the sentinels come in. A significant part of the public does not want discipline, and that is why they tried to scare a traffic sentinel who was doing good work. The need for the scheme arose because there are no CCTV cameras on every road, and we do not have enough police force to check every traffic violation. However, the infrastructure will gradually improve, and after the government covers all roads and the police is powerful enough, we will not feel the need for the scheme,” says Naik, adding that there is also the need for higher fines to check traffic violations.  

Bethora-based college student Swaraj Kanekar too underlines the same point. “It is interesting that the scheme brings public participation into law enforcement. This will improve law enforcement and also discourage crime. We cannot just burden the government with keeping our cities safe. As responsible citizens, we also have to play a role in our own welfare and safety,” he says. Kanekar believes that people will not take disadvantage of the scheme to frame their enemies as actions from the sentinels can be challenged in the court of law. Making abusing sentinels a cognizable offense however is not enough, opines Panaji-based lawyer Omkar Kulkarni. “The more important question is, what steps has the government taken to ensure anonymity of the sentinels?” asks Kulkarni.  

 Ponda-based IT professional Pranjali Desai sees another angle of the scheme. “There is a high possibility of people looking at this as an earning opportunity,” she quips. “There is high possibility of people being framed here.” In certain circles, it is also said that there are some junctions in Goa where traffic rules are often violated, and with the launch of this scheme, there are some people who keep a constant watch on these junctions and of course, win big. Thus, there is reason to believe that the scheme is working well for now. But while the citizens aid the police in the work, the police itself also must strive to protect those who seek to help the establishment.  


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