By IANS,
New Delhi : They demurred, but complied with the dedicated lanes for the Commonwealth Games vehicles though this caused traffic jams and inconveninced them. But Delhiites have not taken kindly to the Delhi Police threat of jail term for entering these out-of-bounds lanes.
“Arbitrary” and “absurd” are some of the epithets Delhiites have hurled at the police for their decision to impose Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure code (that bans gathering of five or more) on the entire 105-km stretch of the Commonwealth Games lanes. The restrictive order means any driver entering the lane may land up in jail for up to two years.
“What if there is an emergency and I have to reach the hospital immediately? I don’t have sirens and flashers on my car, what would I do? And even if I tell the police, there is no way that they’ll believe me,” said 19-year-old Sandeep Rajvanshi.
Said Rudra Kapoor, a 26-year-old banker: “It is so frustrating to be stuck in a jam when you have an important meeting with a client. I am not willing to damage my career because of a silly event. I’ll break the rule if I have to.”
According to Delhi POlice spokesperson Rajan Bhagat, the law has been put in place specially to deal with such drivers.
“This law has come in force from today (Wednesday) and specially targets arrogant drivers who have a habit of breaking laws,” Bhagat told IANS.
It will remain in force on dedicated lanes till the Games end, he added.
Manupriya Arora, a 24-year-old advertising professional, says it is plain “bad luck” for Delhiites, who have been bearing the brunt of Games preparations for the last many months.
“This is an arbitrary ruling which once again proves that the common man in this country is destined to suffer. Till now we were harassed by the VIPs and now the athletes,” she said.
Prior to this, Delhi Traffic Police only had the power to impose a fine of Rs.2,000 and impound the vehicle.
The lanes have been reserved for Games vehicles from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. till Oct 16. The restrictions are not applicable to Delhi Police vehicles, ambulances, fire tenders and other emergency services vehicles.