Helmet Fine Issued to Auto Owner Exposes Glaring Error in Traffic Challan System
He said i was shocked to learn that I had been fined for not wearing a helmet while driving an auto-rickshaw
Bhubaneswar : A bizarre case of traffic enforcement has surfaced from Odisha’s Bhadrak district, where an auto-rickshaw owner has been slapped with a fine for not wearing a helmet while driving his vehicle an apparent error that has gone unnoticed for nearly four years.
The incident came to light in the Agarpada area when Ramakrishna Nath, the owner of a goods-carrying auto-rickshaw, discovered an outstanding challan of Rs 1,000 while attempting to renew the vehicle’s pollution under control (PUC) certificate. The challan, issued near Balipokhari in 2021, has since blocked the renewal process.
According to Nath, the fine was imposed for “not wearing a helmet,” a requirement that does not apply to drivers of goods auto-rickshaws. Compounding the anomaly, the vehicle was wrongly classified in official records as a “three-wheeler passenger auto,” leading to the application of inapplicable traffic rules.
“When I went to renew my pollution certificate, I was shocked to learn that I had been fined for not wearing a helmet while driving an auto-rickshaw. Because of this pending fine, my work has come to a standstill. I am now confused whether I should buy a helmet or pay a fine for a rule that doesn’t apply to my vehicle,” Nath said.
The discrepancy has caused distress to the auto owner, who depends on the vehicle for his livelihood. Despite the fine dating back several years, Nath said he had never been notified about the violation until it surfaced during the PUC renewal process.
“The case raises serious questions about the accuracy of traffic enforcement records and the lack of periodic verification of challans. It also highlights the difficulties faced by vehicle owners in rectifying errors in digital enforcement systems, which often leave them with little recourse but to pay fines for violations they did not commit. There is need for stronger grievance redressal mechanisms and greater accountability in traffic policing to prevent harassment arising from clerical or classification errors,” Prakash Mishra, a road safety activist.
