Errant drivers shell out Rs 4 lakh for traffic violations

The festival of colours made the central exchequer richer by more than Rs 20 lakh as errant Delhi drivers had to shell out a whopping Rs 4 lakh for traffic violations every hour during dedicated checking on Holi. Jatin Anand reports.

The festival of colours made the central exchequer richer by more than Rs 20 lakh as errant Delhi drivers had to shell out a whopping Rs 4 lakh for traffic violations every hour during dedicated checking on Holi.

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"We prosecuted as many as 7,956 drivers for offences ranging from drunken to dangerous driving on Sunday. While a total of Rs 7,88,300 was collected for compoundable offences such as dangerous driving, jumping red light signals and the like, fines amounting to more than Rs 12 lakh were slapped on drunken drivers," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

According to Delhi Police figures, while 2,686 drivers were challaned for riding without a helmet, 1,702 were prosecuted for red light signal jumping as drunk driving became the third-most committed offence on Sunday with 624 people being challaned at least Rs 2,000 in each instance.

The prosecutions were carried out between a mere five hour period between 9am and 2pm on Sunday.

"Drunk driving is a non-compoundable offence under the Motor Vehicles Act (1988). What this essentially means is that the driver's licences of those prosecuted for the crime were confiscated and they were directed to appear at a designated court on the next working day. Here, they will be handed over their licence only after they submit a fine of Rs 2,000 to the honourable court," said a senior traffic police officer.

While a total of 5,300 people were challaned and 15 people died in fatal road accidents on Holi in 2010, the number of prosecutions this Holi saw an increase of as many as 2,656 challans. The number of fatalities went down to five.

"Besides, 154 drivers were booked for dangerous driving, 815 for triple riding, 163 for travelling in vehicle's with tinted glass and 133 for travelling in vehicle's with defective number plates. A total of 305 vehicles were impounded," Garg said.