The Commissioner of the Mumbai Police has stepped up and urged the traffic police to stop halting vehicles to check and verify the vehicle’s documents.  In major cities like Mumbai, traffic is a big concern, and if the flow is disrupted, the roads tend to get jammed with long lines of vehicles causing chaos. Hemant Nagrale, the Mumbai Police Commissioner, has given a stern order to the traffic department not to halt automobiles for document checks as these unnecessary verifications are one of the reasons behind traffic congestions.

Cops are advised to follow the stipulated guidelines even in the case of a joint Nakabandhi by the Regional Transport Office and traffic police. However, this does not rule out the possibility of a traffic cop not stop a vehicle. Commissioner Hemant Nagrale has proposed that officers only stop a vehicle if they are breaking the law or driving recklessly and issue the required challan. Due to the increased traffic, it is necessary to give emphasis to traffic management rather than stopping the flow. If officers are still stopping cars to verify basic paperwork, the charge of the concerned traffic division will be held accountable, and strict action will be taken.

The order of Commissioner Naglare stated, “It has been observed that some traffic officials stop vehicles to check them and their documents. This leads to traffic snarls. Traffic cops are not supposed to check vehicles; they should give preference to streamlining traffic movement.”  A senior police officer added “We have seen a few cops stop vehicles to the documents of drivers or vehicles in the middle of the road. This checking leads to traffic congestion; we have received so many complaints regarding the same. The checks are totally unnecessary. The traffic cops should focus more on keeping traffic running.