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MISSING: The New Delhi Railway Station without any tourist cop |
While regular cops try and make a bit on the side by hawking hotels to tourists, the official Tourist Police, which has the task of protecting the visitors, is nowhere to be seen around the popular spots. With barely a year to go before the Commonwealth Games bring in a rush of visitors to the Capital, there is little protection in place for tourists from the men in khaki.
"We are not scared bomb blasts. Such things can happen anywhere in the world. But what really scares us in Delhi are the auto drivers and the policemen," said US national Morgan Harris, visiting Delhi for the first time.
Harris said cops in Paharganj, instead of directing him to a particular hotel where he had already booked a room, showed extra zeal and took him and his Croatian girlfriend to another hotel only to extract commission from the hotel management.
Another foreign tourist couple had a harrying time with Delhi's infamous autowallahs. "It is difficult to commute within Delhi. Autorickshaws, the most popular form of public transport here, are not safe." said Seamus Murphy and Chaine Murphy from Ireland.
Autowallahs too trouble foreign tourists
"The autowallahs leer and pass rude comments at women and though we can't prove it, am sure they overcharge us," said Seamus Murphy and Chaine Murphy from Ireland. The Murphys decry the lack of safe infrastructure, proper signage and a comfortable public transport system. "There is no terrorist scare. But there is a lack of information centres, manpower and signboards in the city to help tourists. Even the policemen are of not much help as they can't understand English properly," added Seamus. Chaine said they hadn't seen any special tourist cop!
Old now!
Meanwhile, the Delhi police's special tourist scheme is struggling to stay afloat. Launched in August 2004 at 10 places in Delhi, not even a single vehicle has been added to its fleet in the last four years. Even their distinctive uniform is missing. "The uniform was provided to the policemen only once when the scheme was launched in 2004. It has become old now," revealed a police official.
The cops further revealed that the tourist police vehicles are often used as regular PCR vans. "Sometimes, PCR calls are diverted to us. We have to attend to these complaints too," they said.
Absent from duty
MiD DAY visited five out of the 10 locations and found that tourist cops were missing at three.
At India Gate lawns, the PCR tourist vehicle was in a poor state.
At 3.30 pm at the New Delhi Railway Station, there were no tourist cops to be seen. A GRP personnel posted at the railway station had no clue about the tourist police. He said, "I don't know. They are at that gate (pointing to one gate of the railway station)." A traffic cop at the gate pointed back to the first entrance. Another cop offered, "They might be patrolling."
At 4 pm we reached Palika Bazaar, another designated place for the tourist police vehicle. It was absent.
At 4.50 pm we went to Janpath Market and the tourist PCR was missing there too. "They might have gone patrolling. They generally park their vehicle here," offered a Delhi police official standing at the Janpath Market gate.
Finally we got to see the tourist police vehicle at Lal Quila. "We work from 8 am to 8 pm to help tourists. We are trained for that and every week officials from the Tourism Department visit the Police Lines to train us," said cop Sant Ram.
