There was a news item last month - traffic violations in Bangalore will become dearer; not only in terms of the fine applicable, but also in the sense that repeat violators stand to lose their driving licenses. It appears to be a very good move .. on the face of it.
But just dig a bit deeper; and suddenly it all becomes very clear. It is just a very smart way for the traffic police to make more money; and demand more bribes. The target – those people who insist on paying the fine and getting the receipt rather than paying a bribe.
Given a choice between paying a bribe and getting your “violation” tracked, thereby risking losing your license; what would you prefer? I think I'd rather pay the bribe – principles take a back seat. Especially because of the fact that it is virtually impossible to drive in Bangalore without breaking some rule or the other – albeit unwittingly. For,
Many of the signals are faulty. Some signals stay permanently red for most of the days; and suddenly start functioning properly only when there is a cop around.
With bullies behind you honking and shouting and abusing you when you wait at a red signal, I think the sensible option is to face the police rather than face the bullies!
Signals in Bangalore do not follow a standard convention (especially the “blinking green arrow”, free left turns; “free straight” all are very irregular)
Huge number of signals are obscured by signboards, trees, and other such.
Most importantly, sometimes you are concentrating on the vehicles around you rather than craning your neck to see where the signal light is. Or, you are following a bus and the signal is simply not visible.
Bottom line – since it is very difficult to perfectly follow the rules while driving in Bangalore; and since I would not risk losing my license; I think I will need to compromise on the “no-bribe” principle if this proposal is implemented by the transport department.
On a closing note, how I wish the traffic police and transport department tried to target the deliberate violators; rather than the unfortunate ones who break the rules by mistake!
