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Kolkata Police Mulls Five-Fold Increase In Penalty For Rules Violation

By sachiv1, Section Kolkata Police
Posted on Mon Jan 22, 2007 at 01:36:22 AM EST

Traffic fines in the city may soon increase five-fold if Kolkata Police has its way. Of course, any revision of fines will require an amendment to the state Motor Vehicles Rules.

Traffic police officers said the current penalty of Rs 100 for major offences is hardly a deterrent. So, the lowest penalty of Rs 100 may be hiked to Rs 500. For instance, if a taxi driver refuses to carry a passenger, he may have to pay Rs 500, up from Rs 100 at present.

The penalty for offences like speaking on a cellphone while driving, leaving vehicles in a manner that exposes other vehicles and pedestrians to potential danger or obstructs and inconveniences others will also be increased to Rs 500 from Rs 100.

"Our Motor Vehicles Rules defy logic. For instance, a driver is slapped with a fine of Rs 2,000 for violating a no-entry sign, while the same for a more serious offence like dangerous driving is Rs 400. We have proposed doubling of the fine for dangerous driving. If approved, drivers of twoand three-wheelers will have to cough up Rs 800.

The same offence by car drivers will attract a fine of Rs 1,600 while those driving buses, trucks and contract carriages dangerously will have to pay Rs 4,000," said an officer.

"Our aim is not to earn more revenue from traffic fines. If people abide by the law, there would be less problems on the road. People follow the rule only when it hurts their pockets," said deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Jawed Shamim.

But offenders may not get away just by paying a hefty fine. For, moves are on to make some offences nonbailable. These include rash and negligent driving which may attract a penalty of Rs 2,000, too.

The fine for speeding is Rs 600. It may rise to Rs 3,000. The fine of Rs 300-500 for a vehicle owner arguing that his/her driver didn't cross the speed limit may be hiked to Rs 3,000. The penal provision for jumping traffic signal is also being made more harsh. At present, the fine for violating traffic signal ranges from Rs 100 to Rs 300. This will become Rs 1,500. Police also want the offence to be made non-bailable.

Once the rules are amended, driving without licence will be a cardinal offence, with six months' imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,500. The existing sentence is three months in prison and a fine of Rs 450.

Driving vehicles below the permissible age is now punishable with three months' imprisonment or a fine of Rs 450 or both.

(Source-Times Of India,21/01/07)

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