iF cameras and the police are present at crime-ridden intersections, drivers will feel less compelled to break traffic signals. PHOTO: FILE
The traffic police in Sindh have finally lost their patience with drivers who violate traffic laws. The 12th schedule of the Sindh Motor Vehicle Amendment Ordinance, 2000, under Section 116-A, has finally been amended to increase fines on drivers violating various traffic laws. One of the most commonly broken laws of driving through red traffic signals will now result in a Rs500 fine instead of the previous Rs200 fine. The fine for speeding has doubled to Rs400 and the fine for reckless driving is now Rs2,000. While this is a positive step towards alleviating the many issues with Sindh’s traffic system, the laws are not without loopholes.
First, the amounts that some of the fines have been increased by are not very high; an increase of a few hundred rupees might not be all that effective for commonly violated laws, such as speeding and driving without a licence. Another issue is that if an unregistered vehicle is discovered, the police should confiscate it until the vehicle’s rightful owners are tracked, instead of merely handing out a fine. This should also help catch criminals and mitigate car theft. With regard to security, perhaps, if cameras and the police are present at crime-ridden intersections, drivers will feel less compelled to break traffic signals because of safety concerns.
The problem of drivers violating rules is not necessarily due to low fines for violations; perhaps, it has more to do with apathy and passivity of the traffic police and hence, it is important that the police go after all offenders aggressively. The authorities can install cameras to capture an offender’s licence plate number to reference the owner’s address and mail a ticket to his or her house. However, again, all of this will require the police to be more aggressive. The police must also deal fines honestly, without bribes, and maintain a zero tolerance policy for anyone and everyone who violates traffic laws as this will ensure that violators take the law and the police seriously.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2013.
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You bring up some good points, many of which I agree with. However, you keep using the phrases "police must" and "police should". Why should they? While I'm not defending the bribery and corruption of Sindh police, it's far too easy and attractive for them to accept a bribe than enforce a fine, considering the pittance they're paid to begin with. This is not even taking into account citizens who use their status and 'connections' to weasel their way out of fines, if not downright threaten said copper.
For any of these methods listed to be effective, corruption needs to be eliminated from the top down, and the rest will fall into place.