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Court issues notice to PMC over ₹1,000 traffic fine rule
Bombay High Court on March 26 issued a notice to PMC in a writ petition challenging the legal validity of a 2010 GR that authorises the civic body to collect an additional ₹1,000 fine from traffic violators
Pune: The Bombay High Court on March 26 issued a notice to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in a writ petition challenging the legal validity of a 2010 Government Resolution (GR) that authorises the civic body to collect an additional ₹1,000 fine from traffic violators within city limits.
The petition, filed by Vijay Sagar through advocate Satya Muley, questions PMC’s authority to levy such penalties using the services of the traffic police. The matter, registered as writ petition number 8915 of 2025, was heard by a division bench of Justices MS Karnik and SM Modak.
After preliminary submissions, the court directed the civic body to file its affidavit within four weeks clarifying its position. The next hearing is scheduled for June 16.
According to the petitioner, the GR allows PMC to collect the ₹1,000 fine — often in cash — in addition to the statutory penalty imposed by the traffic police, resulting in what he terms a “double penalty” for a single offence.
The petition cites an incident in which the petitioner’s two-wheeler was towed from JM Road. He claims he paid ₹785.65 online as a traffic fine, but was asked to pay an additional ₹1,000 in cash to secure the vehicle’s release. After he refused and live-streamed the incident, a criminal case was registered against him, which was later quashed by the Supreme Court. Muley argued that PMC lacks statutory authority to impose such fines, stating that Section 208 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act does not empower the civic body to levy monetary penalties for traffic violations. He contended that such powers rest solely with law enforcement agencies.
The petition also challenges the provision in the GR that mandates sharing of the collected fine between the traffic police and PMC. As per the resolution, 50% of the amount is allocated to the traffic police for equipment, including cranes, helmets, speed guns, and breath analysers, while the remaining 50% goes to PMC. The petitioner alleged that the cash-based collection system creates scope for corruption and misuse, and questioned the legality of deploying police machinery for municipal revenue collection.
Muley said, “PMC has a record budget of over ₹15,000 crore, yet they engage in such loot by using the police machinery. This is a violation of law and the rights of the people.”
