Stop towing vehicles and fining them ; announces Pune CP Amitabh Gupta

During the past week, the traffic branch has come under sharp public criticism for alleged cases of corruption.

Jigar Hindocha
Pune: Joint Commissioner (law and order) Sandeep Karnik has ordered the traffic branch to focus on disciplining traffic rather than imposing fines. 

“The e-challan machines have been deposited at DCP traffic headquarters. The top brass of the city police has instructed the traffic branch to focus more on enforcement and discipline rather than recovering fines and taking action against the violators,” said Sandeep Karnik, Joint Commissioner (law and order).

During the past week, the traffic branch has come under sharp public criticism for alleged cases of corruption. Pune residents took to social media and posted pictures of towing contract staff settling the traffic fines for lesser amounts after quoting a large amount from the offenders they caught for different traffic violations.

The citizens had also alleged that the traffic cops hid along the roadside and caught the violators as an easy way rather than taking the hard route of enforcement through awareness and good dialogue. Specific complaints had come to the city police regarding the towing contractors picking up vehicles from select lucrative zones and allegedly resorting to rude behaviour.

DCP (traffic) Rahul Srirame said, “As per the directions, we have stopped penal and fine-based action against the violators and all the e- challan machines have been deposited with the headquarters. Also, we have received directions to lodge criminal cases against the traffic violators. This has taken place after a few complaints related to misdemeanour were brought to our notice.”