CMP comes to grips with irregularities

The Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) will set up a Traffic Complain Management Centre (TCMC) in the port city next week to lessen sufferings of CNG-run auto-rickshaw passengers.
The initiative has been taken to achieve further success in the ongoing drives against the auto-rickshaws plying without meter and use of cellphone while driving the vehicles.
The centre will be set up at the ground floor of Chittagong City Corporation-owned building that houses Zaman Hotel at the GEC Intersection, sources said.
Three mobile teams headed by an assistant commissioner will work at the centre where seven operators of the CMP traffic department will receive complaints.
Any passenger or commuter can register complaints against auto-rickshaw drivers or any other traffic anomalies for overcharging of fare or harassment by dialing the traffic police help-line numbers 01919911911-13; 01727-400400, 01727-400500, 01727-500500 at anytime, said the sources.
Responding to the complaints the mobile teams will rush to the spot to solve the problem, the sources said.
Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Mohammad Ali Miah said they have already a lot of complaints against plying of CNG-run auto-rickshaws with meters switched off and harassment of the passengers by the drivers.
He said they have some 90 percent success in the drive against the auto-rickshaws plying without meter. But, the percentage is showing a declining tendency recently prompting us to intensify the drive, he added.
The centre will also help achieve success in the drive against use of cellphone while driving vehicles alongside checking other traffic anomalies posing risk of accidents, Ali said.
Sources said on an average some 25 auto-rickshaws are detained in the port city a day for running without meter or with faulty meter.
Traffic police seized licences of many drivers during the drives for harassing the passengers, particularly the female ones, they said.
The CMP traffic department launched the drive to check use of cellphone by the drivers from March 1 since the practice has increased the risk of road accidents.
The use of cellphone also helps a syndicate of three-wheeler drivers keep link with the criminals and carry out criminal activities, said the sources.
Under the drive a five-member team patrol the city streets from 7:00am to 10:00pm.
On the first two days of the drive, the team seized some 82 licences for using cellphone by the drivers while driving the auto-rickshaws as well as for violating traffic rules, the sources added.
Abdul Jalil Mandal, an employee of a multi-national company at Kalurghat, said a very few drivers now run auto-rickshaws without meter.
Shib Prashad Dey, a resident of Anderkilla Sirajuddollah Road, said an auto-rickshaw with meter helps him go to GEC intersection from his residence at a maximum fare of Tk 25 while it takes Tk 35 without meter.
CMP Commissioner M Akbar Ali said police alone will hardly be able to put a total end to the suffering of the passengers or commuters unless CCC and Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) come up with new roads and foot over-bridge.
He said as such they are now launching drives that will reduce harassment of the passengers as well as the crimes at least to some extent with little logistics and manpower.