Representative image.
KOLKATA: The one-time traffic fine waiver scheme seems to have hit the right chord with private car owners but police say they have a long way to go to rein in commercial vehicles, which have a much larger pendency.
Top Lalbazar sources hinted that the percentage of private vehicle owners, who responded to the scheme, was 80% among all types of vehicle owners who availed of the scheme. But, the figure is 20% for commercial ones, including the owners of vehicles like ambulances.
The latest collection figures till Christmas Day — online, at Lalbazar and 25 traffic guards — gave some interesting leads. The online scheme has so far been availed to settle a total of 89087 citation cases, 12 times more than the next highest collection made by the Sealdah traffic guard.
Out of the Rs 14,73,41,280 crore (from 39,38,521 citation cases) collected so far in the first 25 days of the scheme (another 20 days remain for the first phase to end), the online window has helped Lalbazar realize Rs 4.42 crore as citation settlement.
The Vidyasagar traffic guard, sources said, has helped close merely 2666 cases generating a revenue of Rs 43.78 lakh. The average collection from each vehicle here stood at Rs 1602 , almost 3.5 times that of online collections. “This is because the area handles lesser number of private vehicles and a much higher number of trucks and buses that enter the Port area,” said an officer.
Each traffic guard has now been asked to reach out to owners — especially for commercial ones — and persuade them to pay up.