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I f there is one thing that keeps all busy especially the youth, cutting from rest of the world, is ‘cellphone’. The electronic gadget that has undergone many changes from ‘walkman’ like instrument to ‘slim’ and handy device nowadays, it has become an integral part of human beings. What’s alarming is, of late it has given rise to jaywalking and using cellphones while on wheels’ be it a two-wheeler, three-wheeler or four-wheeler.
This is evident with the city traffic police registering cases against using mobile phones while on wheels. It is already nine months and 1,116 cases (till Aug 2010) have been registered. In the previous year, the total number of such cases were recorded at 2,733.
Though there is a decline in the number of such cases this year, chances of such trend inviting danger cannot be ruled out.
According to sources at traffic police wing, a fine of Rs 300 is imposed on such offenders. Among that, Rs 100 will be imposed for using cellphone and Rs 200 for dangerous driving if gone by the way they (offenders) will be speaking over phone, tilting their head to either side as and when they feel it comfortable to do so.
Equally dangerous is jaywalking, that is high among mobile users again. Mention must be made of teenagers especially school and college students who will be texting on their cellphones completely removed from the surroundings. They are not aware of what they are doing, even while crossing the road, as they will be craning their neck on either side of the road, still browsing on cellphones.
A police officer on condition of anonymity told City Herald, earlier when Kasturirangan was the police commissioner such jaywalkers were imposed a fine of meagre Rs 20 or Rs 30 under Karnataka Traffic Control Act. Those who crossed double roads that were earlier barricaded with ropes, were booked under the Act and were released only after being produced before the court. Now, the time has come to act against jaywalkers before anything ill occurs.
Similarly, despite the umpteen number of awareness programmes, the list of vehicular riders not wearing helmets is also on rise. A whopping 51,494 cases have been registered (till Aug). In the previous year, the total number of cases were put at 63,300.
Though the year 2009 did bring some relief with depletion in the number of such cases when compared to 2008 (72, 408 cases), the latter year was the highest of 2007. In that year 69, 518 cases, second highest in five years, had been registered. In 2006, 2,280 cases had been registered.
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