The functioning of a Mobile court, which was formally launched in the city in 2012 to punish traffic offenders on the spot, has come to a temporary halt in the absence of a magistrate. For the past four months, the vehicle identified for the purpose, has been remaining idle with the Traffic Police department.
An officer attached to the city traffic station said it was following the departure of an already appointed magistrate for official training that led to the temporary stoppage of the court.
As no alternative arrangements were made, the police officials who were earlier deputed to help the court were redeployed for other duties, he said.
The Traffic police sources indicated that the delay in making alternative arrangements was causing huge loss to one of the main revenue sources of the department.
Beyond this, a swift mechanism, meant to trace traffic rule violations in the urban and rural areas, was also caught up in trouble.
“On a daily basis, the team including a Sub Inspector, Additional Sub Inspector and Head Constable could generate around Rs.50,000 by imposing fine on the offenders.
With the stoppage of the court, the team members were given other responsibilities,” an Additional Sub Inspector attached to the City Traffic Unit said.
He also pointed out that the department was yet to receive any formal communication on the actual date of resumption of the service.
Meanwhile, a court official clarified that the issue could be settled with the deployment of new Munsif Magistrates to the unfilled vacancies in the district. There was no purposeful negligence on the part of anyone on the subject and the appointment would be made on completion of their ongoing training programme, the court official hinted.
During the launch of the service also, there was a row over the fitness of the vehicle given to the police to operate the Mobile court.
The vehicle identified for the purpose was old and had non-functional lights and scratches on the body.
As the court officials expressed dissatisfaction, even its formal launch had been postponed in the city.
