BENGALURU: Stringent traffic fines are looming ahead for traffic rule violators in the city, which will be strictly implemented by mid-2019.
As per the new traffic rules and regulations, violations like driving without registration could attract a fine of Rs 2,000, while jumping the red light, illegal parking, using mobile phone while driving, wrong side driving, rash and negligent driving, or driving without insurance, are all likely to attract fines of minimum Rs 1,000.
Driving without a licence, or under-age drivers are likely to attract a minimum of Rs 500 fine, while violation of one-way rule could attract fine of Rs 200. Moreover, driving licence and ownership documents of violators committing offences more than three times will be impounded and cancelled.
A new draft policy, approved by the Karnataka Government and inspired by the stringent Telangana model of traffic rules and regulations, lays down heavy fines for even violations usually considered ‘normal’ in the chaotic traffic situation in the city. The new rules, which will be notified shortly, will be implemented first in Bengaluru City and then in other tier-2 cities of the state, according to an official privy to the developments.
The committee on the matter — headed by the principal secretary of Transport Department and comprising officials from Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Regional Transport Office (RTO) — finalized the draft which was submitted to the state government.
An official from the transport department told The New Indian Express: “As the government has approved the draft, it will be soon notified and the same will be communicated to all the stakeholders. Three months’ time will be given for spreading awareness about the new penalties and fines, and for the local civic body to provide sufficient infrastructure to implement it,” he said.
Dr B Basavaraju, principal secretary, Transport Department, said, “The reason for making this policy is that despite fines and penalties being collected for traffic violations, the number of violations have not come down. This is because people think they can get away with paying a few bucks as penalty and repeat the same violation. So we decided to come up with a strict policy to tackle the issue.” Fines, on the lines of Telangana model, would be thrice the current amounts, he said.
“The thing to be considered here is that driving licence and ownership of vehicles of violators more than three times will be impounded and cancelled. This policy is already in practice in foreign countries, and we can expect disciplined commute in Bengaluru,” he said.