Despite drives & crackdowns, traffic offences on rise in city…..Megha Sood
Cops collected over Rs 100 cr in fines in 4 years, say penalty not enough to deter offenders
Cops collected over Rs 100 cr in fines in 4 years, say penalty not enough to deter offenders
If figures from the traffic police department are anything to go by, Mumbaikars are yet to inculcate better discipline behind the wheel. The traffic police have collected Rs 100.20 crore in fines for violation of traffic rules in the last four years. Of this, Rs 3.09 core was collected in just the first two months of 2012.
The data compiled by the department from 2008 till February 2012 shows that over 95 lakh traffic violations were registered in the period, with the number of cases of rash driving, refusal by taxis to ply, drink and drive having gone up considerably despite several campaigns by the traffic police.
Senior traffic police officers say the lack of traffic sense among citizens can be gauged from these figures and as penalty amount is low, it doesn’t serve as a deterrent. “We have been conducting rigorous drives for various traffic offences, but the number of violations has not come down,” said Vivek Phansalkar, Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic).
“But with revised fine amounts, which are at least five times higher than the current, the situation might change,” said a traffic police officer. However, Phansalkar said there has been no communication to the department from the Centre about when the new penalty rates will come into force.
Although offences like honking and talking on cellphones while driving seem to have reduced, chronic problems like rash driving and speeding continue to rise. Despite awareness drives and crackdowns, there has been a marked increase in cases of rash driving in the last four last years. In 2008, 5,687 cases of rash driving were registered in the city. In 2011, the number increased to 8,013.
The number of drink driving cases has remained more or less steady. In 2008, 16,450 cases were recorded, which in 2009 dipped to 14,681, but again increased to 16,290 in 2010 and 16,324 in 2011.
The police say that despite creating awareness among drivers about traffic violations, it would take a long time to change their mindset. “We have been concentrating on serious offences like rash driving and speeding, and have been able to charge more drivers for the offences. At the same time, the drivers are now aware of dangers of using cellphones while driving or unnecessary honking. These offences have gone down over the years,” said Phansalkar.
Traffic experts on the other hand believe that offences like rash driving, speeding, lane cutting and signal jumping are interconnected. “During non-peak hours, drivers tend to speed. While speeding, they tend to drive rashly, jump signals and cut lanes, which lead to several mishaps in the city,” said Sudhir Badami, a traffic expert.