Traffic Rules Violations: Challans Should Be Increased By 400 Percent
Accidents caused by traffic violations have been one of the greatest concerns for developing countries. Unfortunately, Pakistan is ranked at number 3 in terms of number of fatal traffic accidents in South Asia. According to a research, thousands of people get injured or worse, lose their lives in traffic related accidents annually. Number in the list is war riddled Afghanistan, at number two is India who has a huge population when compared to Pakistan. Situation of traffic accidents in Bangladesh is far better than this.
To avoid accidents caused due to over speeding and breaking the signal, following traffic laws is of utmost importance. And to come up with a solution about this, people have been discussing about it on not only at national levels, in National Assembly, but also at local and regional levels as well. Last year, Sindh provincial assembly approved a bill regarding increasing the fines for traffic violations in this regard. But things have not changed. And there are two reason behind them. Firstly, the increment, that was done after 49 years, is very nominal, and secondly, it was not done while keeping the trend of bribery in Police, in minds. Had they increased the fine by 400%, it would have been far more affective.
Right now, the fine for breaking a signal, or having tints on your car, or driving your vehicle in a wrong way on one way road is just Rs 500. If you aren’t wearing helmet when riding your bike, the fine is Rs 300. Over speeding will only cost you Rs 400 in fine. If your car is unregistered, you will be fined Rs 1000, provided you get caught. Violations like these, where yours or someone else’s life is in danger, fines of few hundred rupees make no sense. And if you get caught by a policeman is fine with letting you go if you grease his palms, it will be even cheaper than paying those low fines.
My point is this, the fines will be far more effective if the minimum amount is increased to something like Rs 1000, and you double the fine for repeat violators. I believe this will be a great deterrent. Not only will it teach the lesson to violators, but will also be a warning for the next time.
Believe it or not, before the last year’s implementation of fines, laws of 1965 were still being enforced. In which, minimum fine was Rs 50, and maximum was Rs 300. Rs 300 no doubt was a big amount in 1965 but in current times, it was nothing. Purchasing power of people have increased in past 50 years, but those fines were not true reflection of the times. And people find it easier to pay those policemen in “white” uniforms (which is now “officially” gray) off, than paying the fine. This kind of gives people a permit to violate traffic laws without the fear of consequences. And if amount of fine is increased and some percent of that fine goes to the policeman who caught the violator, it can halt, or at least slow down the menace of bribery.
| Violations | Current Fine (Rs.) | Proposed Increment (Rs.) | For Repeat Offenders (Rs.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tinted Windows | 500 | 2000 | 4000 |
| Signal Violation | 500 | 2000 | 4000 |
| Driving on Wrong Side | 500 | 2000 | 4000 |
| Not Wearing Helmet | 300 | 1200 | 2400 |
| Driving without License | 1000 | 4000 | 8000 |
| Over Speeding | 400 | 1600 | 3200 |
| Use of Unregistered Car | 1000 | 4000 | 8000 |
What I am talking is nothing new, or uncommon. Many countries around the world have same kind of system implemented. From Alberta Canada, to Jamaica in Carrabin’s, same system is implemented to discourage the traffic violators. In Jamaica, you can get fined for as much as whopping 15000 dollars, for not wearing a helmet. Same way, other countries have also very strict traffic laws. In Germany, where you can actually drive as fast as you can, if you over speed in controlled areas, you can get fined for as much as 680 Euro (around Rs 80,000).
Additional amount collected from the updated fines can be used to upgrade traffic police and its equipment. For example, this can be used to
• Educate people regarding traffic rules and regulations
• Teach leaners to operate cars and bikes at governmental level
• Provide traffic police with new heavy motorbikes
• Install security cameras on signals and intercity roads
• Install dash cams in police vehicles
• Improve and update, and install new traffic signs on roads where necessary
Not only will it help improve traffic police and motor vehicle users on the roads, but will also safe guard pedestrians. It is very encouraging that Lahore Traffic Police introducing E-Ticketing and Islamabad Traffic Police is working to develop an advance system to collect challan through mobile phones but I appreciate if it will be done as quick as possible and expand to other cities as well.
i agree with this our people need strict fine implementation coz i am getting sick of people every time coming from wrong direction , signal violation is very common
the police & law & order is also very organized & fair in these countries, turn your fu***ng brain on before sticking such absurd up your ass you sick-minded dick head!
Good but it’s also important to introduce safer cars. Current local cars are very unsafe.
Crash testing based certifications and airbags must be mandatory.
I know Rock and I really miss the attitude era with you.
Regards
Triple H
Yes Rock you are so right. And your posting is reminiscent of the attitude era when there was no moderator.
Regards
The Undertaker
As in Western courtiers third party insurance must be implemented and Also plenty point system should be more effective and license cancelation fear will make people to follow the rules. Our police is not educated at all. And exam to get license is worst joke of all the story.Increasing the fines is not solution.So I suggest,
1) Make driving test as good as western countries.
2) Plenty points and then license cancelation after 12 points.
3) Mandatory third party insurance to drive any vehicle on road.
4) Annual vehicle testing system specially for commercial vehicles.
should be equally implemented on Public Transport Mafia.
Third party insurance is compulsory. In fact insurance document is one of the compulsory things you need in car. These are:
1. CNIC of driver.
2. Driving license of driver.
3. Small part/running part of vehicle (this is one page which should be torn out of the reg. book. Reg. book should be kept in safe. Photocopy of book attested by notary public or gazetted officer can be used in lieu of running part).
4. Valid third-party Insurance
5. Highway code book.
6. Authority letter (in case driver is not owner of vehicle).
People usually get challan if thrid-party insurance document is missing. Since the big companies like efu, adamjee etc. would not insure cars over 5 years old, probably you’ve never heard of ایشین میوچل انشورنس which for Rs. 415/- is a boon.
By the way, what is “plenty” point?
From the article, it seems the author has never been on the battleground.
The uniform of traffic policemen is not “shiny white” at all. They are dirty, smelly, torn and patched. Because of the extreme level of corruption in every department such as store, purchasing going up to the top level, many times policemen do not have any uniform to wear. The laundry service is pathetic because you see, washing machines from the laundry are stolen and get sold in the market and policemen have to wear the same sweaty uniform again and again. The only way policemen can go is to get the uniform made on their own, they know how to make money for this. For once you could write on the plight of the policemen who suffer all sorts of abuse and weather consitions and as a result the anger comes out.
Another point is you cannot fine the real violators. The real and repeat violators are well-connected and well-backed powerful transporters and will definitely kill the policeman if the abuse exceeds a limit. It is a fragile system made of power politics and street violence.
The worst drivers currently are military drivers. Not only the convoys cut through traffic, they will point their gun at you and tell you to shoo off to a side. If the traffic policeman dares to stop them, he will convert into another missing person and his family members will sit till eternity outside press club. Funny how the War on Terror has changed everything. Just a few years ago military drivers were best drivers and parents would show their children that if you have to learn how to be a good driver, you should see the arrow number plate as an example.
What about road geometry, absent road signs and traffic signals not working?
Menace of bribery: The increased fines will only increase the rate of bribes, there will be no other effect. It is a system and it is our national culture, increasing the amount of fines will not change it, only make it more profitable.
Thank you for the feedback but you missed the last part of the blog. I wrote few suggestions there which helps to counter your mentioned issues.
This is a very good point, automakers should also work to make their cars safe!
highly appreciated ! I am with you ! wish we had same ticketing system as in UAE particularly Dubai….
like the beggars from Pakistan follow the very rules over there, but when they come to their home country they just don’t bother.
Good advice but 1st of all Govt begs for funds and even if they get the funds eventually funds will be targeted by corruption which is on the Govt level and in the end there will be Big fishes eating the small ones :p ” Jab roots mai corruption hogi tou phir mery bhai upper walon se kon pochy ga ?”
Get Grown up man this is Pakistan. Not UAE ;p
Whoever wrote this article should consider dying this is pakistan get a grip this is precisely what happens when you look at yourself and your country as inferior give me one good reason why tinted windows are wrong dont say terrorism thats just insanely stupid
Hey idiot my friends from dubai and guess what he had a fake drivers license their the sheikhs there are not even stopped by their police please dont over exaggerate their security
Well said
I got a better idea for you why dont you go and live there since your clearly too romanced by their security and honestly you shouldnt take away others freedom
Like i said to another comment if you love the west so much why dont you go there
Thank you Moiz for the feedback but I am not dying so early 🙂 Yes, this is Pakistan, my beloved homeland that’s why I always think to make my home better. Regarding tinted windows, there are many many reasons of declaring it illegal. One of them is Bad Vision.
We have a huge population raising fingers and discussion the issues throughout the day and the result is, increase in problems. What if they start thinking about solution? result would be much better.
Exactly. Why the hell is tinting our windows wrong?! I argued with a Rangers officer once when he stopped me for tints, I asked him the reason and he was like we have to keep an eye on perpetrators. I told him that the car that just passed by had single person in it and he could have easily been carrying a weapon but he got away with it knowing you dont stop vehicles with no tints then what are you going to do about it, if you have to check then check all suspicious people?? He told me to shutup or else…
Fucking illogical, everything in Pakistan
Thanks for these suggestion, really appreciated.
Highly disagree. No one should have ‘freedom’ to kill.
Great discussion but the penally for driving on the wrong side of the road should be 1 month in jail and a hefty find in the region of around Rs 10,000 or more. Also retake (or re buy) your driving license.
Jumping a signal is a serious threat to life and this should be as above.
Nothing wrong with tinted windows.
Speeding – depends on how much over the speed limit people are driving. If they are doing 110 in a 45 zone then it should carry a fine such that the person will not do it again.
This nation needs to be spanked into place because they won’t learn otherwise.
Why No challan for Motorcycle having no Indicators, Side Mirrors, Silence-less, sitting more than two passangers on the bike.
Bikes. and for Cars, Tinit windows should be for everyone not only for civilian. having ultra-white lights, big horns.
If you are more lenient toward the bikers as low income, unemployment, then be lenient toward car owners.
To save money to but a car doesnt make them rich people