Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.28 / Trend K. Zarbaliyeva /
Last year 33 traffic policemen were punished in Azerbaijan due to various law offenses, Interior Minister Ramil Usubov said today in an interview with the "Azerbaijan" newspaper.
Usubov said that five of police officers brought to serious disciplinary responsibility were removed from service, one was dismissed from his post, one was made criminally responsible, as well as other administrative measures were taken.
"Given that the policemen of traffic patrol service have to daily communicate with citizens, there are people satisfied or dissatisfied with their activity. This is normal. According to study, complaints about traffic policemen constitute 8.3 percent of all appeals of citizens," Usubov said.
According to him, most of the complaints related to the groundless drawing up a protocol against a driver who fails to pay the set fine on the scene; evacuation of vehicles to the penalty site because of driving without warrant, parking on the roadway, as well as with other administrative penalties for the use of signals, off-design by manufacturer plant, banned lighting devices, for talking on the phone while driving.
The ministry is carrying out activities in accordance with internal control to reveal negative acts by traffic policemen, contradicting the law, as well as takes appropriate administrative and other penalties, Usubov said.
According to him, the analysis of traffic accidents shows that driver's discipline and ethics in this sphere leaves much to be desired.
"Due to violations of overtaking and manoeuvring rules by some motorists, vehicle drivers, following the opposite direction, have to get the car into the oncoming traffic lane. Driving a car at high speeds or in a drunken state and other administrative violations create accident situations, often with fatal or injury. Despite the reduction of such cases, at present the issue remains one of the urgent ones," the minister said.
Over 93 percent of traffic accidents last year occurred due to this reason, he added.
Observance of traffic rules is every citizen's duty, Usubov said.