Zero tolerance: 4 lakh cases filed for crossing yellow grids

Bengaluru: Motorists at the central business district of the city were puzzled to notice a yellow box in the centre of a traffic junction. The zigzag line indicates pedestrian crossings ahead, and while waiting for green signal motorists cannot stop or halt in the area covered by yellow marking.

These are the ‘zero tolerance zones’ designated by the Bengaluru Traffic Police. The exercise began last year, but initially the police was not able to enforce it strictly due to staff shortage. However, they later stepped up their drive and it was implemented in 50 junctions across the city. So far they have fined 4 lakh plus violators. The police now plan to implement in more roads, but is faced by various constraints.

The plan was implemented in January 2017 and till May this year, around 4, 82, 692 violations have been booked across the city.

R. Hithendra, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), told Deccan Chronicle, "We have to enforce rules strictly in order to make people follow them. The project is intended to create awareness and booking cases on the spot is the best way to make violators realise their error.”

Attiguppa junction in Chandra Layout, which falls under Byatarayanapura traffic police station, tops the list of ‘zero tolerance zone’ violators, with more than 40,000 cases. Instead of recording violations on camera, the policemen deployed there stopped violators and issued on the spot challans.

Commuters of Chandra Layout were shocked to see their junction top the list. “It is really unbelievable to see such high number of cases from this small junction, compared with other major ones in the city. The police have to carry out awareness drives as these yellow boxes are barely visible and need to be repainted. Without any visible markings how can they book cases,” said Santosh Kumar, a commuter. 

A policeman attached to Byatarayanapura Traffic police said, “Chandra Layout junction is small and the people deployed at the traffic management centre can easily spot violators. In other junctions, the police will be busy controlling traffic movement. We are happy that we have given our 100 per cent and commuters here are more aware of yellow box and are following the rule.”