Rs2,000 fine for driving on bus lane of BRT corridor

Driving your car on the bus lane of the BRT (bus rapid transit) corridor in southeast Delhi might save you valuable travel time but it will leave you poorer by Rs2,000.

Driving your car on the bus lane of the BRT (bus rapid transit) corridor in southeast Delhi might save you valuable travel time but it will leave you poorer by Rs2,000.

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As many as 351 Delhiites have learnt this the hard way since June 23, when the traffic police imposed the fine. With at least 50 errant drivers penalised every day, the proceeds for a week (till June 29) stand at Rs7 lakh.

A special task force comprising 20 officers fans across the BRT, prosecuting violators on the spot. To cover the entire 7-km stretch connecting Dr Ambedkar Nagar with Moolchand flyover, they work in pairs. Among those they’ve caught are senior Delhi government bureaucrats and police officers.

The penalty is in line with a two-month-old notification issued by the city’s transport department that, by classifying the BRT corridor a zero-tolerance zone, transformed it into a ‘blue lane’ on which lane violations result in a Rs2000 fine. This is 20 times the Rs100 fine a lane violation carries on any other lane or road.

“Enforcing the lane violation rule on this stretch, which costs 20 times more than the same offence would elsewhere in the city, coupled with on-the-spot prosecution sends a resounding message,” said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

“Several government agencies are doing their bit to rein in violators on the BRT, including us. No matter who you are, please just stick to your lane,” Garg added.

In a city where traffic rules are flouted left, right and centre, the daily earning from various fines is around Rs13,26,667.