Fines (without fear) doing little to reduce accidents in Hyderabad

The recent tragic death of a Class X student in a road accident has highlighted the alarming issue of vehicles plying with unpaid traffic challans in Hyderabad. The lorry involved in the accident had nine outstanding challans since January this year amounting to ₹10,800. This is just one example of the lakhs of vehicles on city roads with active violation records.

The Hyderabad Commissionerate, issuing anywhere between 15,000-18,000 challans per day, has recorded 77,798 ‘top violators’ — individuals with more than 10 pending challans — in just the first six months of 2024.

“Names of these violators have been sent to the 38 traffic police inspectors across the commissionerate and notices are being served to them. This will be followed by filing chargesheets against them,” explained Additional Commissioner of Hyderabad (Traffic) P. Viswa Prasad.

Cyberabad Commissionerate, on the other hand, is starting at a massive 13.24 lakh (81.8%) unpaid cases out of the 16.19 lakh cases booked until June. To put things into perspective, of the whopping ₹74.68 crore penal amount, ₹61.12 crore is yet to be paid. The amount has increased to ₹65.30 crore till August 21.

In July, a reunion joy ride turned fatal for three engineering students in Dundigal. Their vehicle had five unpaid challans, with four for over-speeding.

The numbers point to a grim situation where little has changed by generating challans. Top traffic police officials said the focus is being shifted to enforcement overhaul to reduce challan pendency and ensure ‘certainty of punishment’ for violators to bring down accidents.

“Most accidents are caused due to behavioural patterns of drivers or commuters and changing that is the top priority. Merely generating challans won’t do that, the certainty that the violator will be caught will ensure deterrence,” said Cyberabad Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Joel D. Davis.

Linking challan payment with mandatory services, including FASTag recharge and vehicle insurance and suspension of waiver schemes for payment can greatly improve the enforcement mechanism in the State, he added.

In addition, top cops called for a relook at the driving licence issuing rules, setting up of a traffic engineering wing to identify and effectively address infrastructural flaws, an efficient vehicle inspection mechanism and improved cooperation between police and other bodies, including the GHMC, to contain the menace.

Analysis and correction

With 2,365 cases till July 2024, the Cyberabad Commissionerate alone has recorded a 21% jump in road accidents as compared to 1,947 in 2023. A total of 501 people were killed and 2,029 were injured in these accidents.

According to the data shared by the traffic police, over-speeding (1,178), improper distance (394), wrong side driving (171), drunken driving (114) and rash driving (105) have been identified as the top causes of road accidents. Two-wheelers (57%), pedestrians (29%), four-wheelers (6%) and autos (4%) are top victims of fatal accidents.

The data also revealed that 44 were killed in 92 ‘repeat accidents’ reported in 29 black spots or stretches across the commissionerate. These include Bhaskara Wines to fire station in Balanagar, Damaragidda gate and Mirjaguda gate in Chevella, Old Mumbai Highway main road in Raidurgam, Wipro Circle in Gachibowli, Ankur Hospital to Healix Hospital in Miyapur, Kothur Y Junction, Thimmapur X road, Metro Pillar No 756 to 770 and 834 to 849 in Kukatpally among others. Maintenance and engineering work is being taken up at these spots.