Devil-may-care attitude: Failure to collect traffic fines costing ICT admin millions

Warns that arrest warrants could be issued fine defaulters

ISLAMABAD:

The government has been forced to bear losses of millions of rupees over the last couple of years because over 90,000 traffic violators did not pay their fines. The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration is now mulling issuing arrest warrants for such violators.

The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) issued 174,872 tickets during January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014.

Only 82,451 tickets, however, were disposed of, while 92,421 are still pending in different courts of the four area assistant commissioners (ACs).

Traffic violators usually do not bother to pay the fine and collect their licences or other documents, which are seized at the time a person is ticketed. Instead, they just get a new driving licence or a replacement National Identity Card, an ICT Administration official said.

This practice has caused a huge loss to the national exchequer, said another administration official while requesting anonymity.



Muhammad Bilal, a resident of Sector G-6, said that traffic constable fined him Rs500 for speeding on 7th Avenue last month, but he did not pay the fine. He said that it took time to find out where the court was, located and then he couldn’t be bothered to stand in a long queue with other violators. “It is more convenient to get a new driving licence,” Bilal added.

Meanwhile, a total of Rs21.1 million was collected by the administration after disposing of 82,451 challans during the two years.

During this period, a total of 45,906 tickets were received by Saddar AC. However, only 21,225 challans were disposed of and 24,681 are still pending. A total of Rs5.59 million was collected by the court.

Similarly, 37,861 tickets were received by Industrial Area AC, with 20,428 challans disposed of, and 17,433 tickets are still pending. The court collected Rs4,96 million in fines.

A total of 41,159 tickets were received by the City AC, of which only 17,569 were disposed of and 23,590 are still pending. Rs4.45 million was collected by the court in fines.

Moreover, the Rural AC received 49,946 tickets in two years, with only 23,229 challans disposed of and 26,717 tickets still pending. A total of Rs6.13 million was collected.

The highest number of tickets issued was for not wearing seatbelts, followed by not wearing a helmet.

Other prominent violations included parking in no-parking areas, overloading, reckless driving, traffic signal violations, using phones while driving, and driving without a licence.

East Zone Additional Deputy Commissioner Abdus Sattar Essani confirmed to The Express Tribune that many violators did not bother to try and collect their licences by depositing fines, despite repeated summonses issued by courts.

“We have decided to issue arrest warrants for them if they continue avoiding the courts,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2015.