The Dakshina Kannada police will start using the BlackBerry devices for traffic rules enforcement in Puttur from Tuesday. The Mangalore traffic police have started using the BlackBerry devices in the city. They have booked 1,003 cases and collected Rs. 1 lakh as fine in the last four days.
Superintendent of Police Abhishek Goyal said three BlackBerry devices had been given for traffic police in Puttur. The BlackBerry devices come with a blue-tooth enabled mini printer. The policeman operating the device enters the registration number of the offending vehicle and the driving licence number of the person driving the vehicle.
He then checks the history of the driver and the vehicle and collects the fine. Receipt of the fine is issued from the handheld mini printer.
In Mangalore, 16 traffic personnel from the rank of police inspectors to the assistant sub inspectors are using the devices.
The BlackBerry has come in handy for the Mangalore Police in enforcing the Supreme Court directions banning the use of films on windshields and side windows on cars.
On Monday, there were several motorists booked for the violation at the Clock Tower Circle.
The police collected fine of Rs. 100 for the use of films and collected additional fine amount if there were other violations, including absence of driving licence. “This device helps us collect more fine and also take action for repeat offences,” said a traffic sub inspector. Using the device, the Mangalore police had collected fine for offences committed in other parts of the State. “I found one vehicle from Mangalore having been booked for offence of using mobile phone while driving in Bangalore (for which collection of fine was pending). I collected the fine for the use of film and also for the use of mobile phone,” said another traffic sub inspector. Traffic personnel were found using the device to book cases near the Ganapathy High School on Monday.
Problems
The traffic personnel in Mangalore are yet to familiarise themselves in using the BlackBerry device. A common problem among many has been the small key pad in the device. “It takes time for me to identify the keys and feed the details. We take care to enter the details properly as any mistake will delay the process of collecting fine,” said an elderly assistant sub-inspector.
Additional Director-General of Police (Police Computer Wing) Praveen Sood said BlackBerry devices were used in 90 per cent of the traffic police stations in the State. About 5,000 cases were booked every day.
Mr. Sood said a team comprising police officials and representatives from a mobile company had started visiting different districts and address problems in the usage of the device.
A helpdesk had been set up in Bangalore to answer queries of the traffic personnel, he added.
