Bihar: Traffic Police bars constables, ASIs from vehicle checks
Patna, July 31
Bihar Police Headquarters has introduced significant changes to roadside vehicle inspections and traffic management.
Under the new directives, Constables and Assistant Sub‑Inspectors (ASIs) will no longer be authorised to stop and inspect vehicles. The power to conduct vehicle checks will be restricted to Sub‑Inspectors (SIs) and officers of higher rank.
The directives were announced by ADG (Traffic) Sudhanshu Kumar during a press conference in Patna. He made it clear that police personnel below the rank of Sub‑Inspector must not conduct vehicle inspections under any circumstances.
Constables and ASIs will instead focus primarily on traffic regulation, congestion management and maintaining smooth movement of vehicles.
Police Headquarters will constitute a special inspection team to monitor compliance with the new instructions. Any Constable or ASI found conducting unauthorised vehicle checks, or against whom a complaint is received in this regard, could face immediate disciplinary action.
The department has also made it mandatory for traffic and inspection personnel deployed on duty to keep their body‑worn cameras switched on. If an officer's camera is found switched off during an inspection and a dispute subsequently occurs with a motorist, responsibility will rest with the concerned officer.
Supervisory officers have also been instructed to remain physically present on roads during peak traffic hours, rather than managing traffic arrangements solely from their offices.
The Bihar Traffic Police will initially introduce a 'Stretch Model' in Patna, inspired by the traffic management system followed in Kolkata. Under this system, police personnel will be assigned responsibility for an entire stretch of road rather than being confined to a single traffic point. The objective is to ensure continuous monitoring and quicker intervention when congestion develops.
If the model produces satisfactory results in Patna, it may subsequently be implemented across other parts of Bihar. A Quick Response Team (QRT) will also be dispatched immediately to locations where significant traffic congestion is reported.
The ADG said that several parts of Patna are currently experiencing traffic pressure because of ongoing Metro construction. Consequently, one‑way traffic arrangements are being implemented at various locations.
The traffic police will also intensify efforts to remove encroachments from major roads. Officials will recommend measures such as no‑parking zones, one‑way systems and road‑clearance drives to the relevant authorities wherever required.
The department will continue regular inspections under the 'Roko‑Toko' campaign. In another measure aimed at making vehicle checks more convenient for motorists, documents available through DigiLocker will be accepted during inspections. Motorists will therefore not necessarily have to carry physical copies of documents that are legally available through the digital platform.
The new system is intended to make vehicle checking more transparent while simultaneously improving traffic management, reducing congestion and increasing accountability among traffic personnel.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative but I hope they also provide proper training to constables for their new duties. Traffic management is not easy, especially with the Metro construction chaos in Patna. Also, what about the hierarchy issue? If an ASI sees a serious traffic violation, will they just stand and watch until an SI arrives? Need more clarity.
The 'Stretch Model' from Kolkata sounds promising. In Kolkata it works well because there's accountability for a specific stretch. But in Patna, the roads are narrower and encroachments are everywhere. I hope they first clear the encroachments before implementing this model, otherwise it will just fail like many other initiatives. 🙏
As someone who lives in the US but travels to Bihar frequently, this is a welcome change. The old system was chaotic and intimidating. Body cameras are a must in today's world to protect both citizens and police. However, I'm curious about the implementation—will there be enough SI-ranked officers to handle the workload in a state as large as Bihar?
This is a positive change but it feels like a band-aid solution. The real problem is corruption at all levels, not just constables. Will the SIs be monitored? And what about the 'Roko-Toko' campaign—will it continue to harass regular commuters, especially two-wheeler riders? The body camera rule is good though, at least there's some accountability now. 🤔
As a daily commuter on Patna's roads, I welcome this. The Metro construction has made life hell with constant jams. This new system with stretches and
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