Bangalore Traffic Police

Few days back i received a mail with an information which was very usefull today . I was coming back from my office at ITPL and just before KR Puram bridge i was stopped by the police constable for not breaking any traffic rule. At the first place i knew it was not legal to stop any one in a free flowing traffic without any reason and you are not supposed to be harassed for documents. Anyway even though i had all the documents, i had failed to check that my emission test document had lapsed a week back. The police constable was immediate to say that i was suppose to pay a fine of Rs300 for not having the valid emission test document. I feel its so strange, every day i have been traveling around 60kms in Bangalore and i see scores of vehicles like auto, lorries which emit lots of carbon yet they never look to be stopped and how come its always the brand new vehicles that's gets stopped? One answer could be the possibility of the owner of a new vehicle just after 1 year not having the emission test document is very high compared to others and hence the opportunity to make some quick money by the police :-)

Any way since i had seen this mail few days back, when the constable asked for Rs 300 fine i told him sorry i am not suppose to pay fine for not having the valid emission test document and i am entitled to get a notice for one week with in which i should produce the document in the police station, hence forth please give me a notice and later i will come to the police station to show you the emission test document. I was so happy to see the surprised police man, at the first place he was surprised to know that people are getting awareness about the law. He was not just surprised he was embarrassed as well, he was immediate to say give me your original vehicle license and not the photo copy. Well i had a back up for this as well :-) I had been to the RTO 3 times for a plastic card and all the 3 times i had been sent back saying we are in the process of upgrading it to smart card and come back after few more days. But few days back i had a big discussion in the RTO and forcefully applied for the smart card. Once you apply for smart card they take back my license and I was given an acknowledgment. I showed the same to the police constable saying my license has been taken back by the RTO and would be given back in a month with the new smart card :-) . He was speech less as he didn't have anything more to say. He just said please get your emission tested in the next petrol bunk :-) i still asked him are you not giving the notice hahaha :-) he said no need :-) hahaha i was sooo happy that i saved some money from getting wasted :-)

I would take this oppurtunity to thank Mr. Praveen Sood (Additional Commissioner of Police) for letting us know about this fact and saving lots of rupees for a common man and also trying to reduce corruption in the traffic police department. Probably if every one who is been stopped know these things i am sure it would be difficult for the traffic police to harass people and make some quick buck.

Now What rule says :

1. If you don't have or if your insurance is lapsed you are suppose to get a notice for 15 days.

2. If you don't have emission test document you are suppose to get a notice for 1 week.

Either of the cases you are not suppose to pay any fine. We can get it done during the notice period and produce it in the police station later. You can only be fined if you fail to get these documents with in the notice period.

Police can't catch you and ask for any documents he can only catch you if you have violated any traffic rule or for drunken driving. Its a mistake if the police is catching people just to verify documents in a free flowing traffic. Also if caught violating a traffic rule you are only supposed to be fined for breaking the rule and not for other cases of not carrying the documents and stuffs :-)

Also thanks to RTI for making aware of these things to a common man :-)