[Rohit_Quad]

Being a resident of Hyderabad since birth, driving since the last 15 years, i can vouch for the actions of the actions of the traffic police. In the 15km odd commute i take daily, i easily come across 10+ such offenders, 90% bikers.
But the main culprits responsible for traffic jams and bottle necks are Autos and cabs (Operating like sharing autos). The traffic police should take the matter seriously and come down on Autos.

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

But aren't you at fault too for paying a bribe? No offence meant,

Not intending to support paying bribes, it is always an offence to pay a bribe no doubt about that, but this (paying a bribe) is what majority of traffic offenders will end up doing if the fine amount is increased to unrealistic levels which the majority of people cannot afford to pay even if they want to.

For most people it hurts to even pay a fine of Rs 100 (legally, not as a bribe) for an offence no matter their financial state because that (hard earned) money is literally going for a waste for them. Therefore increasing fine amounts to ridiculous levels is not an effective way to prevent people from commiting traffic offences. Most offenders would resort to paying bribes.
If they still have to keep the fine levels high, then there should not be any spot fines/cash transaction with the police at all, this will promote corruption. Unless there is a support system that can collect fines from all offending motorists not at the spot, higher fines should not be introduced.

The effective way to curb traffic offences is active policing and fining (reasonable amount) all offenders no matter who they are , strict tests before issuing a driving license and traffic rules awareness building for existing license holders.

[.sushilkumar]

I don't see much changing. Problem in india is not absence of rules & regulations but enforcement of those rules/regulation & willingness of mango man to comply with those rules. you can create as many rules / regulation as you want but unless people change, nothing will change.

Going via current state of affairs, only thing which will increase with this decision is bribe to our ever happy policemen. Infact their rates will increase as penalty have increased. Sad but true.

[saurabh2711]

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

But aren't you at fault too for paying a bribe? No offence meant, but trying to understand if you are ready to break the rule and pay the bribe; why expect it from others?

I am greatful to God that you have never encountered such situations. Touchwood and hope+pray that it remains that way. Seriously.--NOM--


Now for reason to pay up the amount and leave was:.

1: main reason is Just because cops at that point were shameless enough to fine one person for a pity (read: NO) offence and let go the other influential person for more serious double offences (wrong side driving and heavily tinted glasses) just because some bade sahab has given them permission and he is a local: I really have no hope and courage to stand against such system.
2: I had no choice. I was clearly told that I had to surrender the vehicle there and then, appear in court after 2-3 weeks. I would have no clue what all charges they put on me and then keep fighting them in court for some time. Sorry, I do not have time. Plus the damage they do to my vehicle till it is confiscated

And please do trust me. Activa is just brought to Pune in June last week from Indore and its road tax payment was on the card in a week or two. Now that plan is dropped. I have ordered a GoPro in-stead, which will recide on my helmet and I am praying to god that I fall into exactly same situation. Then I will have a video evidence of such biased behaviour to go public anonymously.

Now another case:
When it comes to following traffic rules, I have even paid up MH road tax of my 23 year old MP registered Esteem. This was paid 3 years ago. When it was re-registered in Indore and brought to Pune. (I even pointed this out to the officer when was challaned)

Interesting part: with road tax paid, officially I have every right to drive my vehicle anywhere in MH. However, even with all documents up to date I was once asked to pay a fine of 1000 RS, as the owner of the car was not in the car (and I was driving somebody else's car). Can you believe that. On RC book, The owner of esteem is my Mom. .

All in all, the reason to share that experience on this thread was two incidences of same offence in two other cities and exactly contrasting treatment. I was at fault I had admitted, but not to the amount that I was informed.

Sincere Apologies for the long post, but hope you understand how frustrated I am, even at no fault of mine. I can drive my vehicle in other state for some months, if I show a proof of import date is within the stipulated time frame. Six to eleven months I guess.

I will be qouting you shortly in another thread for a pleasant incidence on road.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by for_cars1

The effective way to curb traffic offences is active policing and fining (reasonable amount) all offenders no matter who they are , strict tests before issuing a driving license and traffic rules awareness building for existing license holders.

I have said exact same thing in another thread few days back with addition to one more thing - We have to be wise and stop bribing the cops. Things won't change unless we change our own mentality.

Originally Posted by saurabh2711

I am greatful to God that you have never encountered such situations. Touchwood and hope+pray that it remains that way. Seriously.--NOM--

Thank you for a detailed explanation!
I think we are just wired in a different way hence I had the question. If you think you are right, you can always stand your ground and make time for this. I hope you resolve the issue soon, and I honestly don’t think whistleblowing the cops instead of fixing your own issue is gonna solve the problem in long term. But then, to each of his own!

Cheers!!

[silverado]

Originally Posted by TorqueKnight

Scenario 1:
Person 'X' is a law abiding citizen and he rides his bike on the left side of the road. Suddenly a person 'Y' who drives his vehicle on the wrong side of the road appears in front of him. To avoid hitting person 'Y', Mr.X tries to move to the right side. There was a vehicle behind person 'X' and it was in his blind spot. Without knowing that Mr.X moves his vehicle on the right side and he was hit by the vehicle which was in his blind spot.

I believe we are all law abiding citizens, hence the best thing that we can do is not give way to person coming from wrong side.

I do not change my line even when I am riding a bicycle. This way I force them to stop and they now have to move from my right and make adjustments as per oncoming traffic. I politely ask them to change their course.

I have stopped talking, grimacing or even gesticulating.
This method of sticking to my line irritates wrong side drivers and I just give a small smile as they pass by.

[Pkumarblore]

Originally Posted by praveear

Totally agree with you on that. Its much needed in Bangalore and strict enforcement required against auto rickshaw/two-wheeler drivers, who believe they are invisible.

I completely agree with you. I travel on NH4 everyday to work up to Dabaspet and sometimes to Vasantnarsapura. I come across all types of vehicles including trailers driving on the wrong side(sometimes at high speeds with their headlights ON as if he is on a mission). The most dangerous are the two wheelers and rural three wheelers. I asked them why they do it and they say like "hey, cmon this is my locality. I live here". This must change.

[TorqueKnight]

Originally Posted by silverado

I do not change my line even when I am riding a bicycle. This way I force them to stop and they now have to move from my right and make adjustments as per oncoming traffic.

Thanks. I follow the same technique daily but when the wrong side drivers occupy the left lane, most of the drivers try to move to their right. It is a recipe for accidents. What to do? We cant change the people

[adhd92]

I so hope this happens in Delhi/Gurgaon.

Please make an example out of some people. The driving etiquettes are almost non-existent and I see no hope.

It does not even look like you are driving in a civilization but a city where roads and cars appeared magically one day and now everyone is driving around as every inch of the land is their personal property. Bunch of idiots.

Rant over.

[dicor]

Originally Posted by saurabh2711

Read this sir, happened today at 12pm, at Hinjawadi with me.
=======
I was just wondering that only thing left beyond this was the officers personally escorting them on wrong side.

Bro, If I would have been you, I would have first look for a public CCTV camera. I'm sure there must be one as all signals and junctions have one now days. Once noticed, I would have told police officer that I am happy to pay challan and I am also going to demand for CCTV footage so that I can also file a case against traffic authorities for doing selective treatment. But all depends upon one's confidence and willingness to take matter forward.

The other thing is that please start participating extra curriculum activities (if you can) like being "Buddy Cop" or contributing some of your time in weekends for managing traffics on signals.

Consider this as in opportunity to serve society and your investment for safeguarding your own interests. It will return you favor in future. Generally these volunteers build up connections and have pictures on their mobile phones with some senior cops or IPS.

Although I am staunch supporter of following traffic rules but mistakes bound to happen and I have been caught for violating rules many times, but when they come to know I am a "Buddy Cop", I've always walked up free from the crime scene.

In many cases I've freed up some genuine people as well from their grip.

Coming back to original topic, I feel repeated offenders must be put behind bars, the first time offenders should pay only fine.

[JBIBS]

May be the case that it is not implemented in other cities. Not really sure. But here in Cyberabad (HiTech Hyderabad area) camera is now installed on the shirts of Traffic cops. This is done to ensure that the cops do not misbehave and do not take a bribe. I have seen it and this is such a welcome move. So, if you are now a days caught in this area under any violation, there are only 2 ways (1) 2-4 days of jail with fine (2) Vehicle seized and you wait for Traffic Lok Adalat, to pay only the fine and get away. But your DL may still be suspended for some time, depending on the violation.

Coming back to the seriousness of wrong side driving/riding , I have a really scary story to share. It happened right infront of my building and with my relative -

My relative is taking a U-turn in his car, obviously at the slowest speed possible. And there are these 2 guys on an Activa, on the wrong side, and at carelessly high speed as well; put together in the blind spot. The rider then sees my relative's car out of no where and brakes in panic. The pillion who was holding on to nothing flies out of his back and falls on the windshield, damaging it totally and suffering injuries as well. My relative could only think of braking and saving his own life under the cracking windshield, and the 2 morons flee before he even gets back to what just happened.

The only way I could console him was to tell him how lucky he was not to see the pillion dead, or with any fatal injury. Because, if that would have happened, he had no proof that he didn't hit him to death, irrespective of they riding in the wrong side !! Police would have left no stone unturned to mint money, and he would have suffered all the trauma without any mistake of his own !! After all, we are the most vulnerable ones in our society with jobs and reputations to protect, and those rule (un)-protectors know it very well for exploitation.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by mchandra13

In Blr, apart from driving in wrong direction, the other most common offences I see are, people jumping red lights at will and with impunity and bikers driving on foot paths and abusing the pedestrians for not giving way. The so called zero tolerance zones are a big joke except for may be a couple of them. Hope Blr police learn from the initiatives of Hyd police

I beg to differ. I found BLR bikers far more disciplined than Hyd's. They stick to their lanes and do not swerve into your car's trajectory.

As regards wrong-side driving, I find truck loads of them on Raj Bhawan road. The closing of U turns between Somajiguda Circle and KFC near Park hotel is the main cause---one needs to travel 1.5 kms to take a U turn.

I also found rude bikers hogging the footpath near Khairatabad jn. I am saying this after living in Hyd for 17 years.

One unique thing in Blr is that their service roads allow 2-way traffic. Haven't seen this anywhere else.

[pratyush6]

Has someone looked into veracity of the law itself?
I appreciate the zest of the law, but it is pointless and stupid. Pointless because it cannot be enforced, stupid because I think its not legal perhaps?

I can think of having a huge fine, immediate suspension of license, the demerit points etc but jail time, are we serious?
Again, no way condoning what bikes/cars do and it is a bloody nightmare but I believe jail time is no good. Also, I have no idea why we do not have the idea of community service as a punishment?

[The Flash]

I hope this rule is passed in all the states to ensure safety of people following the traffic rules promptly.

Here in my city there is a newly constructed flyover and I can already see two wheelers taking the wrong route deliberately, risking theirs and innocent lives of others.

[Aafaq]

Stringent rules are advantageous only if they are implemented on ground. Alas! Everyone knows how things work here in this part of of the world..