While there have been demands for extension of the 50% rebate for traffic violation fines, there have also been objections to providing the rebate itself, over the culture it promotes.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded the State government extend the time limit to avail the rebate in fines in e-challan cases registered by traffic police across the State.
As per a notification by the government a few days ago, the deadline of February 11 was fixed to settle the dues.
Party functionary Jagdish V. Sadam in a letter to the Chief Minister sought extension of the deadline and said that extending the deadline would help all sections of society.
“Giving a grace period of just one week will make it difficult for poor and middle-class motorists to make the settlement. Also, many motorists have various essential expenses during this time. A sudden announcement on rebates does not give scope for people to save money and pay the penalties. Extension of the deadline would help the poor and middle income group,” a press release from the party stated.
Meanwhile, the public continued to express a grouse on social media that links provided by the city police to check booked traffic violation cases were of little use.
However, there have been objections over providing rebate as well. Urban Mobility expert Ashish Verma has demanded the government reconsider the order on providing rebate.
He said: “Many types of traffic law violations potentially lead to accident-related injuries and fatalities often involving vulnerable road users, like pedestrians, cyclists, two-wheeler riders, who are often from the low-income families and/or young age group (based on road accident data trends of Bengaluru and other cities). One way to target road safety improvements is effective and credible enforcement within which high penalties for traffic law violations are used, across the world, as an important measure or deterrent”.
He added that the current decision to offer 50% rebate on payment of traffic fines appears to be short sighted and ignores clear causality between violations and accident-related injuries and deaths.
It does not deliver any justice or equality as being claimed and rather it will only put poor people and other vulnerable road users to greater risk.
