The traffic unit was established in the year 1959 under the control of Police Station Aberdeen for the enforcement of traffic rules especially against dangerous driving, over speeding, drunken driving, riding without helmet, smoke emission etc. to inculcate a sense of discipline and safety among the road users and the pedestrians. White and Blue traffic uniform is being issued to the Head Constable as well as Constabulary rank with effect from 1998.
Port Blair, the capital city of A&N Islands is fast developing as a modern city with the grown of modern housing, hotels, shops and increase in the transport fleet. All this has led to sudden increase in vehicular traffic on the roads of Port Blair, Andaman Trunk Road as well as other Sub-Divisional Head Quarters. This phenomenon has manifested in numerous traffic problems. The number of vehicles in the Islands has risen from 10,000 in 1990 to one lakh approx. at present. With limited resources of manpower and equipments, Traffic Police is trying its level best to achieve the following objectives:-
- To provide safe and smooth flow of traffic;
- To effectively enforce traffic rules and regulations;
- Inculcate Road Safety awareness through Education.
The Action Plan of Andaman & Nicobar Traffic Police is focussed on three major areas as mentioned below:-
The Action Plan is implemented through Road Safety Education and by improving road conditions and traffic discipline on roads by means of signages and signals. Every effort is being made to persuade road users in the traffic management and awareness campaign for observance of traffic rules. For enforcement, regular checking of the vehicles is done and the defaulters challaned for Traffic Violations. Regular camps are also organized for pollution checking of the vehicles as also for eye testing for vision and colour blindness. Special drives against violation of route permit, over-speeding, overloading, dangerous driving, drunken driving, use of multiple horn, obstructive parking, driving two wheeler without helmet etc. are also frequently conducted.
Andaman & Nicobar Police has constituted a Traffic Advisory Committee for Port Blair as well as for Car Nicobar. Inspector General of Police is Chairman of Traffic Advisory Committee at Port Blair and Superintendent of Police, Car Nicobar for the Committee at Car Nicobar. The issues relating to the improvement of traffic regulations/enforcement, education, road conditions etc. are discussed in the meetings of above Committees. The Committee at Port Blair comprises of SP(D) Andaman, Superintending Engineer, APWD, Port Blair, Secretary, PBMC, Port Blair, Medical Superintendent, G.B.Pant Hospital, Port Blair, President, Andaman Chamber of Commerce & Industries, Port Blair, President, Rotary Club, Port Blair, President, Lions Club, A&N Islands, President of Private Bus Owners Association., Representatives of Schools and Media, ASP/DYSP South Andaman Sub-Division functions as Coordinator. Besides aforesaid permanent members participation and cooperation is also elicited in traffic management from time to time.
Road Safety Week
The A&N Traffic Police has been making all out efforts to regulate the traffic. The area of priorities have been three “Es”.
- E- Engineering
- E- Education
- E- Enforcement
Recently, the Engineering aspect has also been given due importance and the traffic police has installed several fluorescent signages to increase the visibility, even during nights and rains. Flexible cones and spring posts have also been placed on the dividing lines of the roads for safe and smooth flow of traffic. Modern gadgets like Alco meter, Fluorescent jackets, Light batons are also in use.
On the educational front “Road Safety Week” is celebrated in the month of January every year. But the Traffic Police has decided to conduct regular Road Safety Awareness programme in the Schools of A&N Islands throughout the year to create road safety awareness among the children. As a part of this mission Road safety lectures were delivered by the Traffic Police in about 22 schools of Port Blair Municipal area. Apart from that, the Children Park situated in Port Blair has also been doing splendid job to educating children. In Port Blair, around 100 children visit the Traffic Park every day, which goes upto more than 200 on holidays.
The educational aspect is further required to be emphasized because education will not only make the people especially children sensitive about the rules and regulations, it will also make them aware of the rights of other people using the road. This culture could easily be inculcated by showing them films on Road Safety through Doordarshan, Cables, Screening in the Schools and at Children Traffic Park etc.
In this scenario, it is proposed to produce films on Road Safety by hiring professional agencies either locally available or from mainland. The films produced here will be appealing to the people and they will feel identified and attached with it.
As part of road safety education, workshop, seminar, painting and essay competitions are organized to create awareness and to instil a sense of road discipline and to educate public/road users about sage driving. Observance of traffic rules by citizen shall certainly go a long way in bringing orderliness on roads of Port Blair.
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