Letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Complaining about the Traffic Jams Problem in Your City

Flat 3, Type VI,

Belvedere Estate,

Alipore,

Kolkata – 700 027.

December 4, 2010

The Deputy Commissioner,

Kolkata Police (Traffic),

18, Lalbazar Street,

Kolkata – 700 001.

Subject: Increasing instances of traffic jams in the city

Dear Sir,

This letter intends to bring to your kind attention the unimaginable harassment commuters face on Alipore Road due to the growing instances of traffic jams. We know that the number of vehicles on the roads is on the rise and that there is no proportional increase in the number of roads. So, traffic jams are bound to happen. But I do not intend to disturb you with things that do not have an immediate solution.

Image Source: s1.cdn.autoevolution.com

It stretches one’s tolerance to the ultimate limit when a difficult situation is aggravated due to the irresponsible behaviour of a few rogue drivers. The Buses and autos on this busy road show an appalling disregard for any kind of traffic law. Buses stopping here and there, autos coming and going through and into every corner and side of the traffic imaginable, drivers getting into an ugly argument on the middle of the road etc., cause havoc for the daily commuter.

Auto drivers are presumably above the law for no police officer seems to have the courage of taking them to task because of their strong union. Please do not mind my mentioning the passivity of the police officers posted in the area. Some of the leading newspapers in the area yesterday published photographs of a police officer and a constable smoking (despite the Supreme Court ban) on the Alipore Road even while the traffic was in the doldrums. Need I say more?

It seems that the concerned officers respond to the call of duty only when some minister is using a particular road. I hope you do not construe my helplessness as rudeness.

We have faith in the Police Department and fully understand that there are some dedicated officers who are working day and night to ensure our safety in every sphere. With all due respect to them, I believe that the Police Department needs to pull up its socks to combat the menace of nuisance drivers who aggravate the problem of traffic jams in our city.

Thanking you in anticipation,

Yours sincerely,

Vinai Borar