BENGALURU: Enforcing the newly implemented traffic rules and fining motorists is not the main goal of Bengaluru District police. They have taken a pledge to help motorists in rural Bengaluru get their licences, insurance, emission certificates, and help them buy quality helmets. The rural police are holding a ‘Licence Mela’ in their respective jurisdictions for the past week. On Friday, the licence mela was kickstarted by Bengaluru District SP Ravi D Channanavar. Similar melas were held in Hoskote, Nelamangala and Anekal taluks. The Licence Mela will be held in Vijayapura and other places soon.
According to Channanavar, the mela will continue till all residents of rural Bengaluru get their licences and other documents of their vehicles updated. The traffic police, in coordination with RTO officials, insurance companies and helmet vendors, is organising the mela.
Channanavar once had a tough time getting a driving licence when he wanted to become a Road Transport Corporation conductor after he completed Class 10. Conversant with the problems people face in getting licences, Channanavar decided to organise the Mela. “I had encountered certain problems, including borrowing vehicles from others. In rural areas, many people are not aware how to use the internet. Though the licence can be availed by applying on e-Parivahan, most of the people are not aware about it. There is no knowledge among people, including the test. So we came up with this mela,” Channanavar said.
With new traffic rules and steeper fines, we can book cases, but in rural areas, people earn less than Rs 500 a day. If we fine them Rs 1,000, what will they do for their bread and butter? So we want to help them update their documents and educate them about the law. After giving them this chance, we will start booking cases, Channanavar said.
Deputy SP Mohan Kumar R, Doddaballapur Police Station Circle Inspector Raghava S Gowda and his subordinates, along with ARTO Umesh of Devanahalli RTO, worked for a week to arrange the mela in Bhagath Singh Stadium. Around 13,500 applications were received on Friday and around 3,000 people trooped in on Day 1. On Friday, 250 motorists got their expired licences renewed, 1,200 people bought helmets and 75 motorists got emission tests done on their vehicles.
Chand Pasha, an autorickshaw driver from Doddaballapur, said, “I’ve been driving an autorickshaw for more than 15 years. I didn’t have a licence because I didn’t go to school. But now police have come forward to help me. Based on my documents, I applied for a learner’s licence and got it. I thank Doddaballapur police and SP. I spent Rs 350 to get my autorickshaw LL and two-wheeler LL, if I had gone directly to RTO I would have spent more than Rs 3,500.” Many villagers, including women and children, took part in the mela.