In 2023, 5.8k FIRs registered against errant motorists endangering lives

BENGALURU: Pavement riders and those driving on the wrong direction won't have it easy any more. They may not be able to get away by coughing up a paltry fine under the Indian Motor Vehicle (IMV) Act,1988. City police are booking FIRs against errant motorists and seizing their vehicles, requiring offenders to go to court to pay fine and get the same released.
With nearly 96% of traffic violations being booked in the city through contactless monitoring, police have now turned their attention to riding and parking on pavements and riding/driving in wrong direction to ensure smooth movement of traffic.Besides booking cases under the IMV Act, police are also invoking more stringent IPC sections against offenders.
According to data with city traffic police, about 5,800 FIRs have been filed against errant motorists between January 1 and July 20, translating into an FIR for a traffic offence every hour. This is besides the nearly 25,000 cases booked under the IMV Act during the same period for riding/driving against one-way rule or in the wrong direction and riding/parking on pavements.
Police argue that invoking IPC allows them to not just levy fines but also punish offenders with imprisonment if courts find it fit and that it could act as a better deterrent.
Safety is priority for cops
Asserting that the priority of traffic police is to ensure safety of rule-abiding pedestrians and motorists, MN Anucheth, joint commissioner of police (traffic), told TOI: "For the last few months, we have started coming down heavily on riding/driving in no-entry areas and footpath riding and parking. This year, we have already booked around 5,806 FIRs for these violations apart from IMV cases. We will be booking more FIRs instead of collecting fines under the IMV Act."
Riding/driving in wrong areas includes violating the one-way rule and moving in the wrong direction on the road. "We are invoking IPC section 279 for those riding/driving in no-entry areas and riding on footpaths. Motorists must go to court and pay their fines. Once an FIR is registered, fine won't be collected on the spot or at the stations," said Anucheth.
Anucheth added: "We are catching these offenders on the spot and registering cases. The remaining offences are being booked contactless."
Why IPC sections?
IPC section 279 prescribes imprisonment of up to six months or fine up to Rs 1,000 or both for those found driving/riding vehicles in a rash or negligent manner endangering human life.
The offending motorists slapped with FIRs will end up spending at least two to three days finding a lawyer, appearing before court and paying the fine.
Another senior police officer said the idea behind slapping FIRs is to make motorists realise that violation of traffic rules comes at a price.