Traffic vioation fine collection thru bank from today

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: From tomorrow, traffic rule violators in Kathmandu Valley will have to visit the nearest Global IME Bank counter to pay the prescribed fine. They will then have to go back to the concerned traffic police unit to reclaim their driving licence.

Nepal Rastra Bank had recently given approval to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division to collect revenue from traffic rule violators through Global IME Bank. DIG Ganesh Raj Rai, MTPD in-charge said it would be mandatory for traffic rule violators to deposit the fine at the nearest Global IME bank counter to get back the driving licence.s with effective from tomorrow.

As many as 24 counters have been set up in the Valley with 21 in Kathmandu and three in Lalitpur. MTPD premises, Panipokhari, Bouddha, Gyaneshwor, Kirtipur, Kuleshwor, Thamel, Dhapasi, Basthali, Chhetrapati, New Baneshwor, Dilli Bazaar, Gongabu, Chabahil, Koteshwor, Kalanki and Anamnagar will get one counter each whereas Kantipath and New Road will see two counters each. Saatdobato, Lagankhel and Kupandole in Lalitpur will have one counter each.

Representatives of Global IME Bank said one counter would be set up in Surya Binayak of Bhaktapur by mid-August. According to MTPD, on-duty traffic cops will issue a 24-hour slip to the motorists indicating the type of violation they have committed in the event of breach of traffic rule on the road. Then, the concerned persons will have to present themselves before the nearest traffic police station where they will have to fill up three copies of bank vouchers and go to a counter of the bank to submit vouchers with the prescribed fine.

The bank will keep one voucher and return two of them to the fine depositors. “One copy of the voucher will have to be submitted to the traffic police station to get back the driving licence,” DIG Rai said. He hoped this would make revenue collection more transparent and spare MTPD and its units a lot of trouble.

As of now, MTPD has been collecting revenues from traffic rule violators and depositing the same at Thapathali-based Currency Management Department of NRB.

However, MTPD said the banking system will not be applicable to persons caught in the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. “We have decided to continue collecting revenue generated from drunk drivers ourselves and to deposit the money at NRB, due to technical reasons. Drunk drivers have to attend a lecture session conducted by MTPD,” DIG Rai informed.

Although the new system will make police accounts more transparent, it will inconvenience traffic rule violators, who will have to rush to two places –– the bank and the traffic police office –– to get back the driving licence.