[ruzbehxyz]

The Pune city police have put the passport applications of 92 people on hold for failure to pay fines for traffic violations.

In a statement issued on Friday, the police said they had linked the data on traffic violators and pending fines with the passport department and the character certification department on August 26. In four days up to August 30, the 92 passport applicants were identified as having pending fine challans.

Source: https://m.timesofindia.com/city/pune...mpression=true

[whitewing]

This is a welcome move, hope this is rolled out into other cities & states as well.

[Guna]

Interesting and welcome move. Only if the Government is equally vigilant in preventing the offenders/law breakers from fleeing the country!

[Aditya]

Good move by the Pune police to hold up passport applications. Way too many people have been getting away with breaking the law. Only when some strict action like this is taken are we likely to see people paying up for illegal actions and hopefully a reduction in the number of traffic violations. At the moment, no one seems to care.

I hope this is introduced in other cities as well. In Mumbai, for instance, the number of people breaking traffic rules as if nothing is going to happen has gone up many fold over the past ten years.

[Lalvaz]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Good move by the Pune police to hold up passport applications. Way too many people have been getting away with breaking the law. Only when some strict action like this is taken are we likely to see people paying up for illegal actions and hopefully a reduction in the number of traffic violations. At the moment, no one seems to care.

I hope this is introduced in other cities as well. In Mumbai, for instance, the number of people breaking traffic rules as if nothing is going to happen has gone up many fold over the past ten years.

I don't see how this will help. There has been a steep increase in the number of traffic violations being recorded by cameras. This is on account of the sheer increase in number of roads covered by these cameras. For instance, I have received 2 tickets for supposedly speeding on the Eastern freeway, and I am supposed to pay Rs.2000 to the MUTP.

Now, there is no mechanism for me to dispute these charges since they're automatically levied. Emails disputing the charge are summarily dismissed saying that their speed cameras are correctly callibrated. Hence I am a traffic offender, and a person who is defaulting on my fines, as per the current situation.

However, I also see a large number of motorists breaking signals, riding on the footpaths on minor roads, and yet, I could'nt find a single violation for them (Valid for the time when I could search for traffic violations by numberplate, now that has been disabled)

So, in my opinion, this move will not really help reduce traffic violations and make motorists more disciplined. It will only ensure more payment of fines, not improve road safety or road discipline.

[scorpian]

Absolutely agree with you lalvaz.
The same is here in goa as well, out of the blue you receive a challan to pay a fine for some offence which is dated like six months back so you have no memory of it, the challan says fine is to be paid within five days from date of offence or else extra penalty is levied.

The more irritating part is that there is no submitted proof of offence along with the challan! When you go and ask them they usually respond with a tone that says 'first you commit the offence and then you have the nerve to ask for proof'.
I had to pay fines twice and once the date and time mentioned when i wasn't even in the country to which they claimed someone else took my bike whereas in truth it was sitting at home locked and covered.

[SJM1214]

Pune traffic police withhold 360 passport applications to recover fines.

In a first, Pune traffic police have withheld 360 passport applications of people who have failed to clear fines for traffic violations.

The police department had in August linked data on traffic violators and pending fines with the passport department and the character certification department.

Following this, the city traffic department decided to get tough with violators having fines pending. Deputy commissioner of police (special branch) Ashok Morale said, “As the traffic violators failed to pay the fines, these 360 applications were put on hold during the verification process.

The regional passport office in Pune has assured complete assistance in this initiative of ours and we keep them in the loop while taking such action.”

News Source.