Not knowing this may leave a big hole in your pocket Traffic violations

If you are getting caught quite often by Bangalore's traffic police, then this will be the article you cannot miss out on. From now onwards, the Traffic Police cannot catch a motorist just to examine the driving license or vehicle documents. He can catch you only if you have violated any traffic laws or if you are driving drunk.
Remember that when caught for traffic violation, the fine you pay must be limited to the violation. In other words, the police can't bloat the bill saying that you have no insurance cover or emission certificate, etc.
Many motorists do not know this. According to the State's Road Transportation Act, no policeman can slap a penalty on you just because you have no insurance or emission certificate. If you have not purchased insurance cover for your vehicle, then the police officer must issue a notice, not impose penalty. You must be given 15 days' time to purchase insurance cover and one week for obtaining the emission certificate. Days later, meet the sub-inspector at his station with the insurance cover or emission certificate, so that he will annul the charge at once. Police can fine you only if you fail to produce these documents within the stipulated period.

If your vehicle is brand new, then you need not bother about obtaining the emission certificate for one full year.
In response to a question as to why policemen fine people instantly without giving them time to obtain insurance cover or emission certificate, Additional Commissioner for Traffic Praveen Sood said, "Yes, it is a mistake. People must force policemen to issue notice or complain to me at least the following day.

The best way to teach the police a lesson is filing a written complaint with their higher officials and, a week later, using the Right to Information Act (RTI) to know the action taken against them.
Remember, any question or application filed under RTI cannot be ignored and no official is bold enough to ignore the RTI Act.

Shared by RTI activist Gangadhar Patil

Belgaum traffic nuisance - Rastrotthan sankalp investigates

Associates of RASTROTTHAN SANKALP Mr. Gangadhar Patil and Mr. Chetan G conducted a survey on 9th May 2009 in Belgaum. They took snaps of almost every case of violation.

Here is their report and the photos of traffic violations done by Belgaumites.

People are often seen complaining about the increasing traffic and blaming the traffic police for the mayhem. But has anybody strictly followed the traffic rules till date. Ask one, the reply is a straight no.

The traffic system in the Belgaum City is in a pathetic condition. People of Belgaum are mostly unaware of the traffic rules. Traffic sense does not prevail in the minds of any one be it residents or concerned enforcing authorities. Innumerable cases of violations can be found almost at every nook and corner of the city. Travelling on the main roads is not at all a safe option. Traffic rules are being completely neglected and violated in many ways. Rastrotthan sankalp took an initiative to look into this aspect in detail.

Riders could be seen coming on the wrong side, overtaking from the left , crossing the guarded railway gate when train is about to arrive, escaping the traffic signal, exceeding the speed limit, etc. Even worse, youngsters are often seen with their acrobatics on bike, sometimes they drink and drive cars and bikes. College Going students often drive bikes in a Zigzag manner. They compete on the roads as well as highways ending up in accidents. Trucks all over the city creating huge traffic. Unfortunately Belgaum is not properly connected by Ring Roads meant for the trucks. Trucks can be seen entering restricted areas, parked anywhere inside the city most of the times exceeding speed limit. In these circumstances, the traffic gets worse and accidents are bound to happen.

Following are the violations we could capture in the Belgaum city limits.

 

Trucks movement in the City

1) Vehicles parked at no parking area

Trucks entering the no entry road

Overtaking from the left

Vehicles being driven Zigzag manner

 

Riders crossing the Guarded railway gate when train is about to arrive

Footpath encroachment

Traffic Rules

• Keep on your left, allowing the vehicles from the opposite direction to pass.
• Give way to traffic on your right, especially at road junctions and round about.
• While turning either left or right, give way to vehicles going straight.
• While turning left, keep to the left side and turn close to the left side of the road to which you enter.
• Slow down at the junctions, intersections and pedestrian crossings. Also slow down near school zones, temple areas etc., where a lot of pedestrians and vehicle traffic move. Give signals before you make any maneuver, indicating your intention, so that the other road users can adjust accordingly.
• Always use a helmet if on a two-wheeler and always check that the strap is fixed properly.
• Stick to the given speed limit and remember that speed limit is related to the traffic condition.
• Keep enough distance from the vehicle ahead to avoid collision.
• Yellow lines should not be crossed under any condition.
• At junctions or intersections, never park the vehicle beyond the stop line.
• At pedestrian crossings always remember that the pedestrian has the right of way.
• At the signal, do not stop your vehicle on the Pedestrian Crossing.
• Two-wheelers are meant only for two. Third person is not allowed, even children.
• Do not start your vehicle on the amber light. Wait for the light to turn green.
• Overtake only from the right side of a vehicle. Never overtake on bridges, narrow roads, junctions, school zones and pedestrian crossings.
• Do not drive in a zigzag manner.

Year ending time: targets to be achieved

RPD cross menace

Belgaum traffic police to get Interceptors

The Cheverolet Tavera Interceptors are installed with two cameras, one alcohol meter, with features of zooming on to the over speeding vehicles' register numbers and the driver also. A 360 degree rotation camera installed on the roof of the interceptors is capable of tracing any traffic violator in every direction." The traffic violations include over-speeding, dangerous driving, signal jumping, drunken driving, one-way rule violations, no parking and the like. Those penalized will be stored in records as a backup. Ajay Kumar Singh also added that many who violate traffic at times refuse to accept it and pick up a fight with the policemen.
However, with the records being maintained the offenders will not stand a chance to escape the offence.

Source: Express Buzz

Bizarre traffic lights: How do we follow them, if we have to?

Project to streamline traffic and transportation in Belgaum

In accordance with the National Transportation Policy, The Karnataka Surface Transportation Directorate is preparing a comprehensive traffic and transportation project for six major cities, which includes Belgaum.

The project is envisaged to smoothen traffic in the upcoming tier-2 cities.
The projected growth of these cities in the next 20 years is being taken into consideration while planning the project. The project would use the available land systematically, to help develop transportation facilities. ICRI, a private firm, would take up survey work for the project in March.

Source: Deccan Herald

Diversions, Traffic woes and top it on Pilot VIP vehicles

The roads are being re laid and hence the have been blocked from one side and hence the traffic is moving on a snails pace on Khanapur Road, From Cantonment Office towards Bogarves.

I was behind some 30 odd trucks and busses in a line, which were all moving at a very slow pace to the standard of Belgaum. Suddenly to add to all it a loud siren is heard and all look behind thinking it to be a ambulance and to give way to it, but when they see it’s a Pilot car of VIP all just look at him and no one moved.

The pilot car overtook me and went forward even when we all were stranded. The scene was nice when a truck from the front came in and the pilot car was stranded in the middle with nowhere to go. The siren was still on and was very annoying. The pilot car some how managed to make through the traffic and then zoomed out with the VIP.

We elect these politicians and they become VIPs and we the common man who elect them have to suffer.
This scene of traffic woes due to VIP vehicles will only increase in the days to come, especially from Chennama circle to KLE.

Road from Bogarves to Khanapur road (PWD limit near the old age home) has been completed. Now it is a smooth ride.

Major traffic plan drawn up for six cities: Belgaum included

A comprehensive traffic and transport plan (CTTP) is being formulated for the tier II cities in Karnataka. The cities for which the CTTP is being framed are Mysore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli- Dharwad, Bellary and Gulbarga, which are administered by municipal corporations. The plans are being drafted on the directions of the Directorate for Urban Land Transport.
The objective of the CTTP is to prepare transport and traffic plans for the six major urban centres with the estimated costs, keeping in mind the growth of those cities over the next 20 years.
The CTTP will be based on the land utilization master plans prepared by the city authorities concerned and will ensure cost-effective and convenient transport, and traffic facility with speed and better comfort, which would ensure an orderly growth of the urban areas. The CTTP will prescribe short-term, medium and long-term transportation policies based on technical, economic and financial evaluation.
Source

RPD the Most Happening Corner: Parking dilemma

RPD corner is the junction of RPD college road Deshmukh Road & Khanapur Road.

On any given day, corner (I would not call it a circle as it does not really have sufficient place) is buzzing with activity all day round. Young Turks keep on zooming up and down the Deshmukh Road for some sights. These young ones sometimes go zip zap zoom causing more trouble. There is heavy traffic on the main Khanapur Road. The signals installed never work, the day they worked all cursed it as the line went up to Govaves circle and Angol Cross.

This corner houses financial institutions (plenty of them), couple of banks, Grocery outlets like More, Reliance Fresh is coming up, Café Coffee day is there. (Sources have told me Axis Bank is planning to shift here somewhere).

There is no sufficient parking place in front of the said commercial complexes as all the basements are crammed up with generators and other stuff. One complex also holds residential houses so the parking is taken up the residents and the same building has More, CCD, HDFC life insurance, Airtel, Fortune Financial etc. So where do the visitors park. No doubt, there has been some parking space made available when the corporation removed the unauthorized compound walls all along the street. Nevertheless, that has not helped much.

City busses have a stop there at the corner only, which again causes many problems for easy movement of traffic. People waiting for the bus have their own dilemma as there is no proper bus stop and the buses halt at any place sometimes near the corner and some other while near ICICI bank. The biggest problem I have found here, is the Entrance to the RPD college road is small as there are those tea stalls and shops round the corner and the road is hardly 20 feet wide there nor can it be made a one way also as there is no alternative road. In a month's time, a Sarvajanik Ganpati Pandal will be set up at this site, which will add more spice to this problem.

So what should be done? Any suggestions. Do leave your comments.