Bengaluru motorists pay huge fines

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Here is the report card for Bengaloreans on road behavior and following traffic rules.

City commuters have paid a whopping Rs 27 crore in the first seven months of the year and if the trend continues, the city will end up paying the largest fine amount ever collected in its history — Rs 50 crores in a year.

The stepped-up enforcement by the Traffic Police, backed by technology like enforcement cameras and surveillance cameras, has resulted in booking a record number of cases in the first half of the year.

The police stated that wrong parking and signal jumping continue to be the major offences committed by Bengaloreans while cases of drunken driving have seen a decline. Other major offences include cutting of yellow line and riding without helmet.

The two-wheeler riders who make up 70% of the vehicle population in the Garden City have ended up paying for 4 lakh cases in the first half of the year.

But tougher enforcement has helped the rate of fatal accidents in the city drastically reduce by almost 50%. So far 360 people have been killed in road accidents, as compared to close to 500 people who met with fatal accidents in the first half of 2010.

“The main objective of traffic enforcement is to bring in discipline and enhance safety measures for the road users. Increased enforcement in drunken driving cases has resulted in less fatal accidents. We have taken up a detailed study on roads where fatal accidents are reported and the reasons are being studied by the police wing,” said Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police.

“Somehow we are worried about over-speeding on city roads, especially the roads which head out of the city. Bengaloreans are willing to pay fines but are not ready to reduce their speed,” Praveen Sood added.

Major offences

*Wrong Parking - 2,99,618

*Jumping Signal - 2,33,314

*No Entry - 2,10,402

*Riding without helmet - 1,28,319

*Cutting Yellow Line - 1,16,129

*Total fine amount collected till June 30: Rs 22,12,25,150

*Total Cases Booked Till June 30: 15,40,488

Offences committed in the first half of 2011 (upto June 30)

Vehicle-wise distribution

*Two-wheelers - 4,92,975

*Goods vehicles - 3,20,173

*Autorickshaws - 2,07,983

*Tempos - 1,99,745

*Buses - 25,291

Number of cases booked for the year 2011 (upto June 30)