Sir,

This is with reference to the letter by Chandrahas titled “Operation Wheel-Lock: Increase fine amount” (Star of Mysore dated June 15). I wish to draw your attention to my earlier letter dated Apr.29, 2019 on this matter.

On the issue of increasing the fine amount, if am right, it has to be done through an amendment to MV Act of Karnataka and not in the hands of local authorities. A more comprehensive Central MV Act amendment is already introduced in the Parliament and awaiting due passing in this session. This amendment provides for heavy penalties for many such traffic offences.

It is unjustified to merely increase the fine amount for parking offences without due effort and investment in providing sufficient space for legal parking, bringing uniformity in well-marked signboards, clearly marking the ‘No Parking’ areas, computerising information gathering and storage and sending challans to right addresses, etc.

Just increasing the fine amount will only increase the corruption activity by subverting the system. If the amount is low but needs great effort to get the wheel-lock removed, then a lesson is learnt and fine is collected with acknowledgement, due recording in the computer etc.

– Prof. B.S. Shankara (retd.), Mysuru, 16.6.2019

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