I refer to the news item headlined “Increased fines to reduce road accidents” in the of November 15. The Deputy Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Abeysinghe says – I quote: “number of road accidents continue to increase and this fine would restrain the drivers from driving the vehicles recklessly and maintain road discipline.” Even a Minister in charge of Transport is not qualified to make pronouncements on vehicular traffic problems; Because ministers do not drive their personal vehicles. They are chauffeur driven and escorted by security personnel and roads are cleared for them.
They have no direct practical experience in driving on our roads. They are merely speaking on superficial assumptions. I have been driving for over 50 years and still continue to drive at the age of 78. The reality on the roads is different. There is no correlation between road accidents and fines, in the existing context. Road accidents neither reduce nor increase with fluctuations in fines for offences. Discipline on roads will not improve with deterrent fines. Discipline is a matter of civility and culture of a people. It has to come from within and not from outside.
Road accidents and discipline will improve only by effective enforcement of traffic laws and road rules by the Traffic Police. The question is, are they doing this? The present system is only a partial or selective enforcement of traffic rules. This does not mean there is social bias in enforcement.
There are two modes of enforcing Traffic laws/rules by the Police: (a) Police on Static duty (b) Police on Mobile duty.
Police on Static duty
The present system is heavily weighted in favour of enforcement by Traffic Police on Static duty at selected places like junctions, near schools and at other road intersections. It can be described as non-effort based enforcement. This is because of the ease and less effort required. Most common traffic offences under this category are Parking at unauthorized places, breaching the traffic lights, making U-turns, overtaking at prohibited areas with double lines, not stopping at pedestrian crossings, breach of ‘one way ‘rule, driving without seat belts, riding without helmets, etc. These offences are not of a grave nature and cause accidents. I can give an actual example of this comfortable way of charging motorists for crossing the double white line when overtaking. It is habitual for two policemen to wait at the top of a road incline on a particular road daily in the forenoon and afternoon. The unsuspecting motorists overtake when there is less traffic and to their surprise the policemen stop them and charge them. The two policemen do this as a ritual at the same spot. This is an easy and effortless method of enforcing the Traffic rules by waiting for their prey.
This may be to impress their superiors of their efficiency in work, by the number of spot fines made, for promotional prospects. The more serious and grave traffic offences occur while vehicles are on the run, at busy junctions and at traffic blocks, which are either neglected or ignored. The minimum fine of Rs.2500 in a majority of cases will be more for minor or less grave offences referred to above. This is because other more serious and grave violations of traffic laws/rules that are vulnerable to accidents during heavy movement of traffic are presently neglected or ignored by the Police as no visible enforcement takes place. A fine can be a deterrent only if enforced for violations.
Police Mobile duty
Grave traffic offences with high risk potential for accidents occur during heavy traffic times, where drivers of vehicles, notoriously trishaws, vans, buses and motorcyclists blatantly violate traffic rules which are susceptible to accidents, including grave and fatal ones. This happens at all places at all the times.
This is beyond the reach of normal static duty policemen. Road discipline and behavior of motorists have deteriorated to alarming extent, with scant regard or consideration for other road users and pedestrians. Care and caution in driving and riding are put aside and bulldozing their way breaking all traffic rules is commonplace. There is a rule that traffic on the right side have the right of way at intersections or junctions without traffic lights or manual regulation of traffic.
This right is observed in the reverse by 90 percent of vehicle drivers, where the right side vehicles have to give way to left side vehicles bulldozing their way. At traffic lights when the red light is on, vehicles, mostly the Three Wheelers come dashing from the opposite lane and cut into the mainstream traffic and create blocs to vehicles moving in the opposite direction. Motorcyclists creep from all sides and it is common for them to use the pavement to get through, endangering the lives of pedestrians.
It is a standard rule to overtake another vehicle from the right side after due warning to the vehicle ahead. But overtaking takes place from right and left sides and both sides at the same time and also when one is negotiating a bend. Where is the much hyped lane discipline action of the Police? Virtually, the Police have abandoned enforcement and given a carte blanch for the vehicle users to do as they want.
When there is long traffic block at traffic lights junctions, vehicles come on the opposite lane and stop ahead of all others waiting in observance of the rule. The problem has grown and now it has become endemic as a norm and even tacitly accepted by the Police. There should be mobile enforcement of traffic rules in a dynamic manner along the flow of traffic on a sustainable basis. This requires effort and application on the part of the Police. This involves motorized patrolling by the Police along the flowing traffic. Motor cycles are used by the Police of the rank of Sub-Inspectors and Inspectors and they should issue written Fine sheets to those breaching the law and should not think that it is only work of a lesser rank Policemen on Static duty.
The Minister makes a meaningless comparison with fines in the West being as high as US$100, 200 and 500, in defence of the recent minimum fine of Rs.2500, without considering the relative income disparity between western countries and ours. Assuming that a minimum monthly wage of a skilled worker is Rs.15,000 a fine of Rs.2500 would be nearly 17% of the wage. Isn’t this high for a country of our economic status?
The root cause for the high incidence of vehicular accidents, incivility and low road culture is the quality of our drivers. This can be improved only at the source of granting licences for driving. More stringent tests should be conducted before issuance of licences. Apart from the ability to drive, knowledge of Traffic Rules, a minimum standard of educational qualification should be made compulsory and also an interview-based psychological or mental assessment for categories of drivers such as Vans, threewheelers, buses, lorries, trucks and other heavy commercial vehicles, should be considered.
