Govt to study fine collection for better traffic management

New Delhi: Very soon the challan or fine you pay for violating traffic rules may well be utilised by the government for devising solutions for the burgeoning traffic problem in metro cities. The Union home ministry, through its nodal department for research in policing subjects, has commissioned a first of its kind pan-India study of big cities like Delhi and Mumbai to address the problem of ‘bumper-to-bumper’ traffic in these urban centres.[caption id=“attachment_458873” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Little space to drive. AFP [/caption] The study, being conducted by the national capital based Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) is being done under the aegis of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), and it will chronicle various patterns used by traffic cops to issue ‘challans’ in these cities and devise ways for proper utilisation of these funds in road safety and infrastructure development. “All the aspects that are leading to bad traffic situation in metro cities would be covered during the study. The main aim is to rationalise the traffic fines that are collected and deploy these funds to develop better traffic amenities for the common man,” an official involved in the study said. The study, to be conducted by experts in the domain of traffic management and policing, will also suggest ways to introduce better ways for investigating road accidents and proper enforcement of traffic laws especially with regard to the menace of drunk driving and vehicle theft. The two-month long study will also record the “growth of motor vehicles with reference to road environment and modernisation plans” among other issues related to the subject. The official mandate of the study is to “make a comparative analysis of collection pattern of fines against traffic related offences for major cities so that the whole procedure could be standardised”. The study would also make an estimate of the total funds collected to enable a portion of the funds to be efficiently used for the benefit of traffic and transportation system for the city. The quantitative study will also include system of fines collection (court notices/challans), level of technology in the enforcement process, pattern of prosecution and vigilance, human resource available and level of training and licensing process in these cities which are bursting at the seams when it comes to vehicular traffic. Statistics of fines (including type of offences and vehicles collected for past three years), latest data available on number of motorised traffic, length of roads intersections with traffic lights, existing problems faced in enforcement and technology support and future plans of modernisation of traffic systems will also be encapsulated during the course of the study. The BPRD will submit the study to the Union home ministry for further action. PTI