KATHMANDU: Are you a habitual offender-on-the-road trying to trick the traffic police? If yes, beware! You may be under a camera surveillance at the hands of Inspector Sitaram Hachhethu, in charge of Metropolitan Traffic Police Division at Koteshwor. The strategy is aimed at not sparing traffic rule violators for any excuse. Every single photograph he clicks and prints out is solid evidence that one has violated the road rule.

Locals at Koteshwor and transport entrepreneurs have gifted him an EPSON, a portable Personal Photo Lab, to support his novel drive in the wake of increasing violation of traffic rules and road mishaps.

The PPL can print out a photograph in 30 seconds. Inspector Hachhethu told The Himalayan Times that he put forth the idea to make violators of traffic rule feel guilty so that they do not repeat the mistake. “Lawbreakers rarely plead guilty of the rules they have violated due to the lack of adequate evidences at our disposal. It was really a tough time for us,” he argued. “I proposed the idea and the transport entrepreneurs and Koteshwor locals cooperated with me in it.” Hachhethu is equipped with the PPL every traffic junction he goes to. He keeps a tight vigil on the motorists and takes their photographs with a digital camera in case they are found guilty.

“I just take their photo, halt wrongdoers and give it to them free of cost besides putting a chit on their hands to make them realise that they were mistaken,” said the officer. He claimed that the campaign was the first of its kind in the country. Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has appreciated his individual effort as a responsible police officer.

More than 100 offenders have already faced his music after he launched the drive to this effect on February 4. It has focused on all types of motorised vehicle and is aimed at maintaining law and order on the road. Initially, the focus areas are Koteshwor, Baneshwor, Bijuli Bazaar, Pepsi Cola, Mid Baneshwor, Tinkune, Balkumari and Shankhamul.