Unmanned barricades at Ghazipur in Delhi
Near Mayur Vihar, around 10-11 pm, police personnel were present, but no detailed checking was observed. During proceedings in Sept 2022, the court asked the force to comply with its standing order. The risk is, therefore, neither new nor unknown to the force.
The police’s standing order on mobile barricades says they should not be deployed haphazardly or left unmanned. The police are there, but what can people do?” said Ashok, a passerby. New Delhi: Across Delhi, this seems to be more of a rule than an exception: barricades meant to help police manage roads are left unattended on them. Others narrow the passage even when little checking is underway. TOI ’s checks in different parts of the city last week found barricades occupying road space, sitting on footpaths and standing close to turns. At some locations, nobody was manning them. At others, cops were present, but vehicles were being funnelled through narrow gaps with little or no checking observed. Near Shanti Van on Ring Road, a metal barricade stood close to a U-turn. No police personnel were beside it. No checking was under way. Yet, drivers and two-wheeler riders had to slow down, squeeze past and merge back into traffic. The police’s own rules anticipate precisely this problem. When no longer in use, they must be removed from carriageways and footpaths. If checking causes congestion, personnel are supposed to loosen the barricades and let traffic clear. On Minto Road, barricades made an already narrow stretch harder to negotiate. Drivers were expected to judge the gap, give way and steer around the obstruction. “The road is already narrow and people still don’t remove them. At ITO, barricades were parked along the roadside. The concern goes beyond losing a few minutes. A barricade close to a turn can leave a driver little time to react. Braking abruptly or moving sideways can trigger a rear-end collision or a sideswipe. The police’s own standing order acknowledges the danger. It records instances of motorists, particularly two-wheeler riders at night, colliding with unattended barricades and suffering injuries. Nor does the presence of police necessarily prevent a bottleneck. Vehicles nevertheless had to slow down and pass through a small gap. Even late in the evening, the obstruction remained. Delhi Police has, in the past, assured Delhi High Court that unmanned barricades would not be left on roads. TOI ’s findings show that the problem persists.