Lockdown eases, Bengaluru traffic cops collect Rs 2.14 crore in fines in a week

As a consequence of the easing of COVID-19 lockdown regulations, the number of traffic violations in Bengaluru have shot up. In fact, the Bangalore Traffic Police has collected Rs 2.14 crore of penalty fines from a total of 48,141 traffic violation cases recorded between September 13 to September 19. This number of traffic violation cases in a week is close to one-third of the average weekly cases recorded by Bengaluru police (152,406) in 2019. A total of 79,25,134 violations were recorded in 2019, while in 2018 the number was 82,74,663. Till August 2020, traffic police had recorded 4,39,1370 violations.

Bengaluru Traffic Police had stopped physically enforcing traffic rules and collecting fines since March, fearing COVID-19 infection. Traffic challans were sent remotely to offenders who were caught on camera in some busy junctions of the city.

The fines have been collected for offences ranging across reckless driving, over speeding, jumping signals, riding without helmets and parking in non-parking zones, among others. Drinking and driving is not counted as part of these, as fines for the offence are to be paid in court.

TNM has earlier reported how, despite the lockdown put in place, there was no drastic reduction of road accidents or fatalities in Bengaluru. In fact, there were instances of multiple road safety violations with incidents of over speeding, reckless driving and wheelies and other stunts on empty roads during the lockdown. In one incident, three young men died after they attempted to perform stunts on their motorbikes. In the incident which took place on June 21, two bikes collided while performing stunts near the Jakkur AirField, resulting in all the three dying on the spot.

As per data, till the end of June, a total of 309 persons have been killed in road accidents in 2020 in Bengaluru. The death toll for 2019, 2018 and 2017 were 766, 684 and 642 respectively for the entire year.