Kathmandu, November 3

New penalty structure for breach of traffic rules has resulted in double benefits for the government.

The fine hike that was enforced from May 15 has decreased traffic rule violations, and increased revenue collection. The fines for traffic rule violations were increased through an amendment to Section 164 of the Motor Vehicle and Transport Management Act, 1993.

Traffic police booked as many as 548,413 motorists for flouting traffic rules in the last fiscal 2015/16, which brought in revenue to the tune of approximately Rs 158 million. According to data at the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, it took action against 110,413 erring drivers and collected approximately Rs 53 million in revenue in the first three months of the current fiscal.

“If it is to analyse the number of tickets issued to motorists and revenue collected from them in first quarter of this fiscal starting mid-July, the incidents of traffic rule violations are likely to decrease while revenue would increase,” said SP Lokendra Malla, MTPD spokesperson.

Common forms of traffic rule violations are driving under influence, disregard for lane discipline and traffic signals, use of mobile phones while driving, parking vehicles in no-parking zone, seat belt infraction, mechanical modification of bikes, overloading vehicles, overtaking from the wrong side, violating one-way traffic rule and reckless driving. Violation of lane discipline tops the chart of offences and bikers are mostly ignorant about traffic rules.

SP Malla claimed that stiffer fine and increased awareness among drivers coupled with proactive law enforcement seem to have acted as a deterrent to traffic rule violations.

Any person caught violating traffic rules is punished with a fine of minimum of Rs 500 and maximum Rs 1,500. Earlier, the fine for traffic rule violation was Rs 25 to Rs 200.

Use of CCTVs, dashboard cameras and go-pro cameras to catch the offenders have also helped curb the violations.