CHENNAI: On Day One of the increased penalties for traffic violations, police collected Rs 15.5 lakh in fines and registered 2,500 cases until midnight on Wednesday. The numbers rose further on Thursday, the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) said.
“We were instructed to raise awareness from 8 am on Wednesday and start fining violators from 10 am. On Thursday, we started issuing challans at 7 am. Most people knew about the revised fines and cooperated,” a traffic inspector said. However, there were a few exceptions.
Politicians who were issued challans near Vepery and Purasaiwakkam signals picked fights with the police, sources said. Two IT employees confronted the police in separate incidents on the OMR and ECR on Thursday morning.
Due to an increase in the number of violators, police personnel were deployed to aid in enforcement. A senior police official confirmed that traffic personnel will be given 170 e-challan machines and 72 breathalysers from Friday.
Axe new penalties: CPM
Meanwhile, the CPM on Thursday urged the government to withdraw the revised traffic penalties. In a press statement, the party’s State secretary K Balakrishnan said the hike in traffic fines and new traffic rules have attracted criticism from the public. He added that merely increasing the penalty isn’t enough to curb accidents.
Kidnapped boy escapes as auto stops at signal
Chennai: A 12-year-old who was allegedly kidnapped near his school in Kilpauk on Wednesday escaped from his captor’s auto when it was at a traffic signal. The Class 7 student then entered a Metro station and complained to the police. He was later handed over to his parents