Soon after the amended Motor Vehicles Act that came into effect from September 1, shocking cases of hefty fines being imposed on traffic violators have resurfaced time and again.
In a recent incident, a Delhi bus owner was fined Rs 500, allegedly because the driver of the bus was “not wearing a helmet”.
As bizarre as it gets, Nirankar Singh said the online challan was made on September 11 and one of his employees checked it on Friday.
Nirankar Singh said his son looks after the transport business and they have about 40-50 buses, which are engaged with schools and private companies in Noida and Greater Noida.
The city-based transporter said that he will be contesting the penalty in court if needed.
The officials, however, said the matter was being looked into and if there is any error, it will be rectified.
My concern is that such a mistake reflects poorly on the Transport Department,” Mr Singh told PTI.
“It raises questions on the working of such a responsible department and makes people wonder about the authenticity of other hundreds of challans being issued daily.”
One of the officials said that the challan was issued by a Transport Department personnel and not the Noida traffic police.
Apparently, the same bus was penalised four times in the past for seat belt violation. Nirankar said if the fine was imposed for seat-belt offence, then it should be mentioned in the challan. He further added that he is ready to pay the fine if the offence is genuine.
Last Thursday – September 19, transporters in New Delhi went on a strike – Chakka Jam to protest against heavy imposition of fines on traffic violators.
The Logical Indian Take
While the imposition of hefty fines on traffic violators is to control the growing traffic menace on Indian roads, a mistake like fining a bus driver for not wearing a helmet puts the concerned authority in a bad light. The authorities have to be more cautious and prompt if a mistake is committed at there end.
Also Read: Gurugram: Man Fined Rs 23,000 For Traffic Violation While Driving A Rs 15,000 Scooter
