Hyderabad: The TSRTC owes the Hyderabad Traffic department Rs 1.4 crore towards challans issued to RTC drivers for violations. Most of these are for jumping signals and rash driving. With over 48,500 challans lying uncleared by drivers since 2009, the RTC is now cutting the dues from their salaries.
A meeting between the Traffic department and the RTC authorities on December 3 saw a new resolution to increase the fine for habitual offenders; the increase would be Rs 100 per violation. Every year, more than 10,000 challans are issued to RTC drivers while the payment rate in the last three years has only been 4 per cent i.e. only four out of 100 drivers actually pay the fines.
Deputy commissioner of police — Hyderabad south district, A.V. Ranganath said, “The problem faced by the traffic department is whenever we fine state drivers, the photo captures the bus number but the driver’s department and depot is unknown. There are automatic cameras at 225 junctions in the city that record violations. Not knowing the depot is the prime reason for non-clearance of fines; the drivers do not know that they have been booked. The meet between the RTC and the traffic department brought in a resolution that both departments would share their database, which means the buses allocated to drivers daily, the drivers’ license, bus numbers and depot will be shared with the traffic department, so that when a challan is issued, it will directly be addressed to the depot and driver; the concerned depot manager will be responsible for payment of the fine.”
The exchange of RTC database with the Traffic department will be initiated in a week. The department has also decided to increase the fine amount of regular offenders. For jumping signals, the first instance will cost Rs 350, second Rs 450 and so on.
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