No check on overloaded vehicles plying in Patiala city

Tribune News Service

Aman Sood

Patiala, October 27

Overloaded vehicles continue to ply in the city without any check. A majority of such vehicles are seen on roads during restricted hours and that too without registration number.

During the past couple of days, Chandigarh Tribune team found many such vehicles, mostly carrying sand and earth, plying sans registration number. During the morning hours, when children are rushing to their schools, these vehicles are driven at a high speed with the cops turning a blind eye to the menace.

‘Traffic wing ineffective’

Traffic cops have failed miserably in doing their duty. The only time the traffic wing is active is when the CM or any VIP is visiting the city. -- Gurkirat Singh, a city resident

“Heavily loaded vehicles are a common sight in the district, but the authorities concerned hardly take notice of the violation. Overloaded trucks, mini-trucks carrying construction material, paddy or wheat husk ply on the city roads,” said Amaninder Singh Bhatia, a city-based lawyer. “Strict action should be taken against such vehicles as these put lives of innocent children at risk every morning,” he said.

As many as 50 persons have lost their lives in road mishaps in the past one year and overloaded vehicles were involved in a majority of these cases. “The district police have a separate wing for managing traffic. However, traffic cops have failed miserably in doing their duty. The only time the traffic wing is active is when the CM or any VIP is visiting the city,” said Gurkirat Singh, a city resident.

Preetinder Singh, Traffic in-charge, claimed that such violations were checked regularly. “Vehicles loaded with construction material and sand can pass through city roads anytime,” he said. When asked why such vehicles are allowed during peak school hours, he said he would start a drive to check such movement.

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