City News(DHAKA) : Untrained traffic staffs more a hindrance than help

While Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is struggling to improve the city traffic system, a considerable number of the 2,272 members of DMP traffic wing, ranging from constable to sergeant, lack necessary trainings on traffic rules. Sources in the DMP could not confirm the exact number of the untrained members in the traffic wing. However, the joint commissioner of DMP who handles traffic wing admitted that the number of untrained members is not less than one third of the total force.A senior traffic sergeant at Tejgaon said the untrained members often create problems instead of helping in handling the chaotic traffic in the city.About a junior colleague who has no training, he said, “because of lack of knowledge about rules he often creates trouble putting extra pressure on me while on duty.”Due to ignorance of rules, these untrained traffic staffs often fail to handle traffic and contribute to tailbacks, he said adding that these officials also often fail to lodge cases properly against the traffic rules violators. “Their mistakes add to the burden of the senior sergeants,” the sergeant said. “Such untrained sergeants often park their motorcycle in the middle of the road to stop a vehicle and defame the whole traffic wing by violating traffic rules. A trained traffic member will never block road while discharging his duty,” he added. Sometimes accident occurs as the untrained traffic staffs give wrong signal. They often confuse drives while passing intersections, said another senior sergeant at Mirpur.Sources in DMP pointed out the lack of training facility for the traffic staffs as the key reason behind this problem. According to service rules, every traffic police member must have a Traffic Training School (TTS) certificate. The maiden TTS of the country, located at Mill Barrack in the city, cannot train more than 150 members in a single training session. A TTS certificate requires completion of a 42-day course by the participant.A senior traffic inspector said inadequate manpower in the force also creates problem in traffic control in the city. He said the existing manpower is about half of the requirement. “We need more traffic police members to control the huge traffic in the city,” he said.As per the police organogram, no traffic police member is counted for duty at a signal post but in reality DMP has to deploy several staffs at each post. Mohammad Jashimuddin, joint commissioner of DMP, talked about the difficulty of handling the chaotic traffic of Dhaka City with such untrained force. The number of traffic police is inadequate and one third of them remain untrained, he said.He emphasised traffic training for both police members and the public. DMP has already started distributing compact discs on traffic rules and regulations to transport owners, drivers, rickshawpullers, students, and traffic police members, he added. Training modules have also been prepared to train drivers and traffic police members about traffic rules, Jashimuddin said. DMP will hold day-long traffic training for general public while three-day training session for all traffic police members, he said.