Rs 8 cr collected as fine, but none spent on road safety

Times of India: New Delhi: Tuesday, 14 October 2014.

Despite all the talk about ploughing back a portion of the fines collected from traffic violators for road safety activities, both the Gurgaon and Delhi traffic police have not spent a penny from the penalty amount for road crash victims. Both the police entities have admitted in a recent RTI response that there is "no such policy".

Going by the fines collected during every calendar year by Gurgaon traffic police between 2011 and 2013, police generated maximum revenue in 2012. But in 2013 it came down to Rs 7.93 crore from Rs 8.33 crore in the previous year. Till this July 31, the fines amounted to Rs 5.61 crore. "The amount collected through challans is deposited in the state treasury and there is no guideline available on its use," the response said.

Similarly, information obtained by RTI activist Aseem Takyaar from Delhi traffic police mentions that Delhi traffic police collected a total of Rs 65.03 crore between April 2013 and April 2014 as fines for traffic violations across the national capital. Takyaar said both the Delhi and Gurgaon traffic cops should have utilized the traffic fines for road safety and crash victims. He added if Gurgaon traffic police could take a bold step in November 2010 to award cash (Rs 1,000) to good Samaritans for rushing road crash victims to hospitals, they should also make another good beginning.

"Ideally the fines generated by traffic offences must be ploughed back to road safety. This has been the practice in all developed cities across the world. For example, in London all fines collected on account of speeding are spent on procuring speed guns. If cities across the world follow such a model they won't have to wait for government funds for urgent issues like road safety and accident victims," said road safety expert Rohit Baluja.

Although there have been discussions at the road transport ministry for long on a policy under which 50% of the traffic fines collected would be utilized for road safety, it has not been agreed upon and translated into reality so far..

However, ministry officials are expecting this to become a reality once the proposed Road Transport and Safety Bill is passed by Parliament. The bill is likely to be introduced during the winter session.