Par Committee wants Traffic Police to be under Delhi govt

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, headed by CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, discussed this and other aspects today at a meeting which was attended by Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, Delhi Transport Commissioner and Secretary of Central Road Transport and Highways Ministry and others.

"A holistic policy needs to be put into place. We are going to suggest that Traffic Police must come under Delhi government. Our report is likely to be presented to Parliament in the Budget Session," a member of the committee told PTI.

The committee is currently focusing on road safety issues across the country in the backdrop of the December 16 gangrape.

The committee expressed concern that criminals get away taking advantage of the duality and multiplicity of the system, which is peculiar in case of Delhi where control over police is directly with the central government, the member said.

"In Delhi's specific case, there is a very peculiar situation where the Delhi Transport Commissioner and the Delhi Transport Department lay down the rules and regulations for vehicular traffic movement but the enforcement authority of these rules is traffic police which comes under Ministry of Home Affairs.

"Taking advantage of this duality, the enforcement authority -- Traffic Police -- says it is Delhi administration's job and Delhi administration says that the enforcement is police's job. Between the two, criminals get away," the member said.