Nawalpur Traffic Police Launches Campaign to Remove Jeep Roofs to Enhance Road Safety

Nawalpur. A campaign has been launched in the hilly regions of Nawalpur (Bardaghat Susta East) to remove the roofs (hoods) of passenger jeeps operating in the area.

The District Traffic Police Office, Nawalpur, initiated this campaign with the objective of strengthening road safety. According to Kushal Kumar Bartaula, Chief of the District Traffic Police Office, Nawalpur, the campaign was started because carrying passengers on the roofs of jeeps increases the risk of accidents. "We have started removing them because it was found that vehicles operating in the hilly areas of the district were carrying passengers on the roof, which increases the risk of accidents due to excessive weight," he said.

He noted that since most roads in the hilly areas are single-lane and unpaved, the practice of carrying passengers on the roof is dangerous and needs to be controlled. Under the campaign, the roofs of about three dozen passenger jeeps have been removed in the last two weeks. It has been found that jeeps operating from Daldale, Chormara, and Arunkhola areas to the hilly regions were carrying passengers on the roof. Some transport entrepreneurs are also supporting the traffic police's campaign and have started removing the roofs voluntarily.

The traffic police stated that they have tightened surveillance as the trend of carrying more passengers than capacity, installing additional seats on the upper part of the vehicle, and overloading is increasing. The campaign was launched to control these activities, especially since they pose a high risk of accidents on remote and hilly roads.

Traffic Chief Bartaula stated that the work of removing the roofs of the jeeps is ongoing under the active supervision of the traffic police, and if they are re-installed, action will be taken according to the law. He informed that the campaign will be continued as carrying excess passengers disrupts the vehicle's balance, causes problems in the braking system, and increases the possibility of accidents.

It is expected that the campaign will be effective in discouraging the trend of removing roofs and carrying excessive passengers, especially in the context of past road accidents in hilly areas that resulted in significant loss of life.

He also stated that drivers and passengers should be aware not to undertake risky journeys. Traffic Chief Bartaula mentioned that surveillance has been increased on the main roads entering the hilly areas, including Kumsot, to monitor passenger jeeps operating in the region.

Office Chief Bartaula requested all stakeholders to cooperate, stating that the traffic police's surveillance, campaign, and actions taken for rule violations are for the safety of drivers and passengers alike.