"Hyderabadis ko rules mat sikhao" might be a funny statement you often listen every now and then... but on a heavier note, this really seems to be a worrisome case. In spite of bringing in Penalty Point System for traffic violations from August this year, nothing seems to have changed - especially in HITEC/Hitech City.
So far, this year, the Cyberabad Traffic Police has compounded a whopping Rs 96.32 crore for various violations of traffic rules and Rs 1.13 crores in Drink & Drive cases alone. Over 19 lakh Motor Vehicle Act cases were registered this year of which 12,837 were of Drunk & Drive. A total of 3212 persons were convicted by the honourable High Court - and these violations happened in and around the IT hub that includes Madhapur, Gachibowli, Kondapur, Manikonda, and Nanakramguda.
While the pending challans are piling up, what is worrying officials is the blatant disregard by people to follow traffic rules. Wrong parking, wrong side driving, parking on service roads, signal jumping, driving without helmet, triple riding, overspeeding and parking at commercial centres top the list of the violations. Citizens complain that with parking spaces shrinking due to developmental activities including the Hyderabad Metro Rail work, they have no option but to park vehicles in public places. One of the most critical violations is riding and driving vehicles without a proper number plate. The number has been increasing much to the disappointment of the traffic police.
The HTP is asking citizens to use the M-Wallet app. They say that it has been linked to the traffic e-challan system. Accordingly, the app would tell users when they attract a challan following a traffic violation. An SMS alert would also be sent. The app also gives the history of challans and allows users to make mobile payments for pending challans.
