Maintaining road discipline is our responsibility, too

Image for representational purpose only. Pic/Bipin Kokate

There is a third eye, and it is not just on the cricket field but now on our roads, too. A report in this paper stated that cops are soon to be outfitted with body cameras. They will be wearing the hi-tech devices and these would relay goings on to the traffic headquarters.

These have been brought in primarily to increase transparency and reduce confrontations between cops and citizens. The report stated that the traffic department had procured at least 1,350 such devices for its staff to be used on city roads. This is a bid to instil more discipline on our roads too and what this simply means is that there are going to be more eyes on the road.

There have been a number of confrontations between our traffic cops and citizens, some of these have escalated to assault. Nobody knows what has happened in these cases, it becomes a my-word- against-yours case. Now these will give the correct picture.

Anything that brings in more discipline and transparency on the roads is always a welcome move. The authorities must ensure that these cameras are of the highest quality so that they do the job they have been bought for. Shoddy surveillance footage, too many glitches simply defeat the purpose these devices have been bought for, and is a waste of money, too.

It is a sad commentary that altercations are happening between cops and drivers, at this rate. Ideally, both should be working towards discipline on the roads as that is a win-win situation. However, we do not live in an ideal world and such measures may be needed. Let us though as citizens, dial back any road rage and obey rules as they benefit us. A more orderly traffic experience is priority for this commuting city.