Speed now, pay later

Traffic cops collect fines for offences committed by drivers of cab companies from their head offices at the end of every fortnight

Traffic cops collect fines for offences committed by drivers of cab companies from their head offices at the end of every fortnight

The traffic police will not stop drivers of taxis owned by cab companies when they are found speeding, parking at wrong spots and jumping signals.

Surprised?

Since June, the traffic police have been noting the numbers of the offending cabbies and dispatching the notices to the cab company's head office to collect the fine amounts in bulk once a fortnight.

After the success ofu00a0 Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) in collecting fines for traffic violations from BMTC depot managers, the traffic police are settingu00a0 their sights on cab companies.

The traffic police's latest initiative shrunk fines collected from BMTC in June last year from Rs 37 lakh to around Rs 5 lakh. The idea is being tried out on private cabs now

After traffic violation notices are served, BBMP depot managers concerned locate the driver who has committed the offence, and deduct the amount of the fine from his salary.
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The amount thus collected is paid to the traffic police once a fortnight.

Said DCP Traffic (West) Panduranga H Rane, "After its success with BMTC buses and private travel agencies, we have extended the arrangement to Meru, Cell and Easy cabs."

Not surprisingly, while the traffic police collected Rs 37 lakh in fines from the BMTC till May, last year, this year, the amount has shrunk to around Rs 5 lakh.

cab cos fined

Meru cabs Violations: 1012, Fine: Rs 1.25 L, Vehicles in city: 1200 Easy cabs Violations: 902, Fine: Rs 1.29 L, Vehicles in city: 600 Cell cabs Violations: 89. Fine: Rs 9,900, Vehicles in city: 100 All figures for June 2010