The highway patrol forces will now get special powers to take preventive and punitive action against motorists found violating traffic rules on the State and national highways in Maharashtra.
The Home Department will soon make changes in existing regulations to empower 209 officers working under the Additional Director General (Traffic) for enforcing laws. The special forces have 2,442 personnel on 24-hour duty to deal with any emergency, but do not have penal or punitive powers, said officials.
Senior officials said the decision to hand over powers was taken after the Supreme Court-appointed Committee on Road Safety pointed out that the forces are now only acting as the first point of contact. “It appears that the special forces act only as first respondents and do not have powers to take preventive measures such as enforcement of traffic laws,” the committee’s latest report on State’s readiness in road safety and preventive measures noted.
