Chandigarh Traffic Police Under Fire: Stopping patient vehicles 'Inhumane', says Second Innings Association
Ramesh Goyat
Chandigarh, June 15, 2025:The Second Innings Association has strongly condemned the Chandigarh Traffic Police for repeatedly stopping vehicles carrying patients and elderly citizens, calling it an “inhumane” and “insensitive” practice. The issue has sparked public outrage as such incidents continue to rise near major hospitals and city junctions.
On June 12, at the Sector 26 Grain Market junction, traffic police allegedly stopped a vehicle with a Uttar Pradesh number plate despite it carrying a senior citizen and a woman heading to a hospital.
Eyewitnesses say the delay was caused under the pretext of a traffic violation solely based on the out-of-state registration, causing distress to the occupants.
This is not an isolated case. Similar complaints have emerged from key hospital zones — Sector 32 GMCH, PGI Sector 12, and Sector 16 Civil Hospital — where vehicles from Punjab, Haryana, and other states are routinely stopped by the traffic police and fined.
R.K. Garg, President of the Second Innings Association, condemned the behavior, stating:
"Stopping patients and elderly individuals for challans without valid cause is not just insensitive — it’s inhumane. This reflects a serious lapse in administrative empathy."
Garg called for immediate intervention from the administration and put forward three key demands to address the situation:
Key Demands by the Association:
- Dedicated WhatsApp Complaint Helpline:
- Citizens should be able to send real-time photos and videos of traffic police misbehavior to a designated number for prompt action.
- Transparency in Challan Process:
- Authorities must disclose how many challans were issued to out-of-state vehicles, under what violations, and whether they were recorded via CCTV or issued manually.
- Special Exemptions for Medical Vehicles:
- Vehicles heading to hospitals should be given priority passage. If needed, they should be allowed to show medical documents for on-the-spot relief from challans.
Public Anger Mounting
Local civic groups and residents’ associations have warned that if such practices continue unchecked, they will organize public hearings and protests.
“Traffic rules are important, but not at the cost of human lives. Reaching the hospital should take precedence over paperwork,” said one resident.
The Association has urged citizens who have faced similar harassment to report their experiences to them or to the authorities to help build a stronger case for policy reform.