Hyderabad: The Hyderabad traffic police has spared over 5.72 lakh motorists from paying over Rs 1 crore in penalties, giving them the benefit of doubt in seven years. In most of these cases, the police let off elderly men and women after they successfully challenged the e-challans issued to them.
Most of the cases pertained to jumping signals, parking violation, driving in the wrong direction and cellphone driving. “Elderly people come to us stating that they had parked the vehicle in no-parking zone or in front of shops because the authorised parking lots were at a distance away. We withdrew the challans on humanitarian grounds but only after a cross examination and verifying with the local traffic police,” DCP Traffic, Hyderabad, A.V. Ranganath said.
For offences involving jumping traffic signals, the police had video and photographic evidence in many cases. But many appellants told the police that they had crossed the signal when it was green but could not clear the road in time because of heavy traffic. Some of these challans were withdrawn after cops examined the evidence.
Sometimes, it is all about timing. By the time a traffic constable sees a driver talking on cellphone and attempts to take a picture, the driver would have removed the instrument from the ear. Even youngsters have been let off in many cases.
“The picture sent to the traffic police command control server shows the phone in the hand at the waist or chest level. In such cases, if the motorists convince us that they were not talking on phone but just holding it, they get the benefit of doubt,” e-challan inspector Narsing Rao said. Cyberabad DCP (Traffic) Avinash Mohanty said in case an appeal is found correct, the challan is dropped.
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