Want to break traffic rules? Think again

Bengaluru traffic police mad a record collection of fines at Rs 102 crore and the recent crushing of defective/modified vehicle silencers.
Bengaluru Traffic Police
Bengaluru Traffic Police

BENGALURU: Addicted to leniency, Bengaluru motorists may find it difficult to believe, but the city traffic police are getting increasingly stringent in enforcing traffic discipline on the roads. And it is bound to show results in the form of a more disciplined Bengaluru traffic soon.   

About 3,000 traffic policemen, across seven sub-divisions with 42 traffic police stations, are going all out to get motorists to behave on the roads which carry a total vehicle population of about 72  lakh. Although a huge challenge, technology — using cameras for automated violation monitoring and booking — and intensifying manual checks are helping the traffic cops tighten the screws on Bengaluru motorists.

Here’s the proof: In 2017 alone, till November end, introduction of fines for pillion riders without helmets and a six-fold increase in towing charges has provided a major revenue boost for Bengaluru Traffic Police, which collected a record Rs 102 crore in fines. Of this, 15 per cent (Rs 15.94 crore), has been collected through fines for pillion riders without helmets, introduced in January 2017.

The Bengaluru Traffic Police, which has filed 94.63 lakh cases under the Motor Vehicles Act, Karnataka Police Act and others in this period, has also exceeded the highest number of cases recorded in a year. In 2016, a total of 91.8 lakh cases were registered by the traffic police, while in 2015 it was 76.26 lakh — up from 74.36,336 in 2014 (see box).Of all the violations registered under Motor Vehicles Act in the city, wrong parking -- 20.31 lakh cases -- was the most common of cases booked by the traffic police. This was followed by cases for riding without helmets and pillion riders without helmet.The total number of cases filed by the police, under Motor Vehicles Act, Karnataka Police Act and others were 94.63 lakh, up from 91.8 lakh in 2016.

There are indications that the traffic police may not leave out aggressive modes in enforcing discipline on the roads, as has been seen with Adugodi traffic police’s treatment to defective/modified vehicle silencers. In a first-of its-kind initiative, Adugodi traffic police recently crushed 82 defective silencers seized over the last one-and-a-half months, which were found to be causing noise above 85 decibels while revving. These were causing noise pollution and irritating other motorists and passers-by.

The tough stand, sources said, was initiated when Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-East) Abhishek Goyal found the Adugodi traffic police station filled with defective silencers and immediately ordered disposing of all of them using road rollers to send out a strong message to such vehicle owners.
In 2017 (till Nov end), the traffic cops have booked 4,223 motorists for installing defective silencers, but only recently started to seize silencers and crushing them using road rollers.

REVENUE SOURCES

Considering the break-up of traffic offences, helmet-related offences such as riding without helmet and pillion rider without helmet contributed to 38 per cent of all the complaints filed. While 19.05 lakh cases of riding without helmet was filed, the number of  cases for pillion rider without helmet was 15.94 lakh. Assuming that minimum fine of Rs 100 was collected from the offenders in each of these cases, the amount collected for riding without helmet was Rs 19.05 crore.

Apart from fines collected for the above violations, towing charges contributed to Rs 19.35 crores of the fines collected by the traffic police. The towing charges collected till November this year is six times more than the total towing charges of Rs 3.06 crore in 2016.

Wrong parking cases too resulted in fines to the tune of Rs 20.31 crore. Other common offences reported in the city included jumping traffic signal (6.74 lakh cases), entering no-entry roads (4.45 lakh cases), defective registration plates (1.84 lakh cases), and reckless driving (1.4 lakh cases).

UNKNOWN TO MANY

Most city motorists are oblivious to the fact that when they jump traffic signals even when there are no traffic cops around, or halt on the zebra crossing at red signals, the traffic police still get to know the violation, based on which the violator is charged.

In October 2016, the traffic police installed 10 highly sophisticated cameras attached at traffic signals. These get activated when the red signal turns on. These cameras take videos of the junctions, clearly capturing registration plates of vehicles. Details of those violating traffic rules are sent in real time to the main server to generate the challan and the violator is instantly charged with a fine. These cameras have been installed at several traffic signals in the city, unknown to many a motorist, who get a shock of their lives when they receive the challan.

R Hitendra, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), told Express that the ratio of spot fines and automated fines was about 50-50. However, he said the Bengaluru Traffic Police would issue a detailed release regarding the fines collected at the end of 2017.

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