Poll Analysis | Bribes disguised as 'fines' by Traffic Police
The Bangalore traffic police have decided to take stringent measures to counter corruption in the department. According to reports in the media, traffic personnel will have to declare the amount of money in their possession before going on duty. I Paid A Bribe conducted a poll on Monday asking users whether the use of Blackberry phones will help counter bribery in the traffic police department. There was equal amount of skepticism and optimism in the responses that we received.
According to the 170 bribe reports received on our website from July 2011 to July 2012, a total amount of Rs. 70161 was reportedly collected by the traffic police in the form of bribes, in Bangalore alone.
A reporter from Chennai posted his experience on our portal in which he described how a traffic policeman accepted Sodexho coupons from him since he had no money to pay to the policeman as bribe.
We have also received several complaints against the traffic personnel describing how they ‘meddle’ with traffic signs and trap unsuspecting commuters, eventually forcing them to pay ‘fines’.
The recent amendments made by the Bangalore Traffic Police to reduce human contact are expected to yield positive results. Traffic police will be restricted to ensure smooth traffic flow. Cameras installed at every traffic signal will take pictures of nameplates. One can hope that this practice will help bring some respite to commuters who have been fleeced.