Traffic in the Valley is a major bugbear, especially with 60 per cent of the vehicles registered in the country plying in the capital alone. Moreover, with people tending to flout traffic regulations and leniency on the part of traffic authorities, traffic in the Valley has become even more chaotic. In a bid to manage traffic in the Valley better and make people aware about the traffic rules the Metropolitan Police Traffic Division has launched a one-month traffic awareness campaign starting Dec. 16. According to the division, some 500 traffic police, 60 students and 40 volunteers have been mobilised at major junctions to maintain smooth traffic flow and make people aware about the traffic rules.

Though awareness campaigns are conducted frequently, the government has hardly taken initiatives to build adequate infrastructure that can help make traffic in the Valley manageable. Granted that public support is indispensable to the success of such campaigns, but steps like construction of overhead bridges, traffic lights and parking areas at major junctions could definitely help control the capital’s chaotic traffic to a large extent. Furthermore, there should also be strict rules regarding speed limits, the absence of which has been a major cause of accidents. But above all, the traffic police should see to it that traffic regulations are followed strictly and they should punish traffic offenders.