By Jaideep Sarin, IANS
Chandigarh : Love to race your car on Chandigarh’s roads? Be ready to shell out a steep Rs.1,000. And not using the specified number-plate size can invite an even higher penalty of Rs.2,500.
Chandigarh traffic police have got the penalties for traffic offences enhanced to curb increasing violation of traffic laws. And for a city with over 600,000 registered vehicles for a population of just 1.1 million, they certainly have a lot on their hands.
The minimum penalty now for jumping a red light or driving a two-wheeler without an ISI-mark safety helmet is now Rs.300 instead of the earlier Rs.100. The penalty for disobedience of the traffic ticket issuing authority has been increased from Rs.500 earlier to Rs.800.
Over-speeding, one of the most common traffic violations by motorists in this 114-square km city, will now cost Rs.700 instead of Rs.400 earlier.
With more instances of youths being killed or seriously injured while doing stunts and indulging in racing on city roads in recent months, traffic police have doubled the penalty for racing from Rs.500 to Rs.1,000.
Youths trying to show off their vehicles by getting them modified with bigger, protruding tyres or getting other accessories fitted to change the physical appearance of the vehicle will also have to shell out a steeper penalty now. The penalty will now be Rs.400 while earlier it was only a mere Rs.100.
“We realised that in many cases, the violators were quite casual about traffic violations since the fine amount was just Rs.100. With the enhanced penalties, these violators will now think twice,” said A.S. Ahlawat, Chandigarh’s senior superintendent of police, traffic.
There are nearly 200 habitual offenders on city roads whose licences have now been suspended by the authorities after repeated traffic violations. The city witnessed 538 accidents in 2007 in which nearly 140 people lost their lives.
Scores of people also get traffic tickets every day for using the high beam while driving when it is dark.
“The enhanced rates are only a deterrent against indulging in traffic violations,” says traffic marshal Gurnam Singh.
Using a mobile while driving on city roads will now be expensive at Rs.1,400 per offence.
Last year, the Chandigarh traffic police realised penalties of nearly Rs.25 million from traffic offences. Over 250 traffic police personnel man the city roads to ensure that traffic flow remains smooth.
A large number of traffic offenders are motorists from states like Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh who end up on the wrong side of law, thinking that traffic rules are lenient in the city like in their own states.
Once issued a ticket, the offender does not just get away with paying the fine but also has to watch a 45-minute traffic rules film before getting back on the road.