Bengaluru traffic police target offenders with unpaid fines exceeding Rs 50K

Bengaluru's traffic police are ramping up efforts to retrieve unsettled fines from recurrent traffic offenders, with a particular focus on vehicle owners facing outstanding penalties surpassing ₹50,000, Hindustan Times reported on Sunday.

Bengaluru: Bengaluru's traffic cops are ramping up efforts to retrieve unsettled fines from recurrent traffic offenders, with a particular focus on vehicle owners facing outstanding penalties surpassing ₹50,000, Hindustan Times reported on Sunday.

MN Anucheth the joint commissioner of police told the publication that a substantial 2,681 vehicles within the city have accumulated fines exceeding this threshold due to traffic violations. Law enforcement has initiated a concerted campaign aimed at compelling these offenders to settle their dues. Anucheth cautioned that failing to adhere to these requirements would result in legal charges being filed, potentially leading to court summons for the implicated individuals.

Anucheth underscored a common tactic observed wherein vehicles burdened with substantial fines are transferred to new owners without addressing the outstanding liabilities. Frequently, while the vehicle registration undergoes changes, the owner's contact information remains unaltered. Per the report, to combat this issue, the police are actively identifying such vehicles and issuing notifications to the owners, urging them to clear their accrued fines.

The report quotes a senior police official who cited a recent case involving Mala Dinesh, a resident of Bengaluru's Ganganagar area, as an example of the stringent measures taken by traffic authorities. Dinesh's TVS Scooty Pep+ was impounded by the traffic police due to an astonishing tally of 634 traffic violations, resulting in fines amounting to ₹3.25 lakh—four times the scooter's market price in Bengaluru.

The surge in unpaid citations has been attributed to a shift in focus by the traffic police in January, prioritising traffic management over enforcement drives. Officers who were previously engaged in issuing fines during impromptu checks are now deployed at various intersections throughout the city, especially during peak hours. According to police reports, over 80% of traffic violations in the city are currently detected and recorded using surveillance cameras.