Goa DGP slams people opposing Traffic Sentinel scheme for wearing helmets

Goa's top cop Mukthesh Chander on Monday compared the popular outrage against a volunteer-driven scheme to penalise traffic violators to a North Indian mother-in-law's constant bickering over her daughter-in-law. Addressing a road safety week programme in Ponda town, the Director General of Police (DGP) said instead of slamming the Goa Police's 'Traffic Sentinel Scheme', those who are opposing it should pass a resolution in the Assembly to make driving two-wheeler without helmet legal.

"The blame is placed on the scheme and not those who don't wear helmets. In North India there is a saying...mothers-in-law have a habit of picking faults in their daughters-in-law," Chander said. The DGP said if "the heads of Goans are made of iron" they should pass a resolution in the Assembly, and not in a municipality, asking for withdrawal of the law that makes helmet-wearing compulsory for two-wheeler riders.

"If the heads of Goans are made of iron, then pass a resolution, not in the Ponda municipality, but in the state Assembly, that the law will not be implemented in Goa. From that day we will stop implementing the law. But we are applying the law as it exists. And for your own safety," Chander said. The 'Traffic Sentinel Scheme', launched by the Goa Police last year, rewards citizens with Rs 1,000 for every 100 reward points generated by them by photographing traffic violations using a specially-designed app and sending it to the traffic police.

During the recently concluded budget session, both the ruling as well as the opposition MLAs criticised the scheme, which they say has encouraged people to spy on one another and report on even minor traffic violations and has led to several assaults on traffic sentinel volunteers. Chander said the scheme had helped reduce the accidents in the coastal state, where nearly six people died every week in road accidents. "From 333 (deaths) in 2017, in 2018 it came down to 262, which is a reduction of 21-22 per cent. There were 71 deaths less," Chander said.

(With inputs from agencies.)