Bengaluru sees sharp jump in traffic violation cases

BENGALURU: The number of traffic violations registered  in Bengaluru  has risen sharply from 2016 to 2017, mainly thanks to stricter enforcement of the law by the traffic police . According to the data provided by the traffic division of the city police, the spot fines have increased from 42.27 lakh in 2016 to 73.36 lakh in 2017,  four wheeler towing has increased five fold with 18,000 in 2016 jumping to one lakh cases in 2017 and two wheeler towing cases have doubled from 64,000  in 2016 to 1.69 lakh in 2017.

While traffic violation like riding without helmet have increased from 15.46 lakh cases in 2016 to 23.56 lakh cases in 2017, cases of speeding have jumped from 85,000 to 1.29 lakh in this period, drunken driving from 59,206 to 74,117, triple riding from 29,981 to 51,049, use of mobile phones while driving from 85,639 to 1,64,016 and wheeling from 64 to 149 across the city.

East division has  the highest number of violations  with  spot fines imposed in 34.78 lakh cases in 2017 and 16.27 lakh cases in 2016. West division comes next with 29.45 lakh cases in 2017 and 20.51 lakh in 2016 . North division follows with 5.49 lakh cases in 2016 and 9.11 lakh  in 2017.

In the West division cases of riding without helmet have gone up from 8.78 lakh to 11.57 lakh and of speeding from 48,940 in 2016 to 52,337 between the two years in question . East division saw cases of riding without helmet rise from 5,85,945 in 2016 to 9,40,350 in 2017 and two wheeler towing rise from 31,766 in 2016 to 68,721 in 2017. The North division recorded 82,185  of riding without a helment in 2016 and  2,58,859 in 2017. It recorded 20,888 cases of speeding in 2016 and 43,367 in 2017.

A senior official said  the police was trying to educate the public through strict implementation of the traffic rules and regulations and stop people from violating the rules.