All cops do when they need money is enforce stricter and they collect the money, then its back to normal. The "rule-breaking nature of people" is used as a mode to collect revenue whenever the demand comes in from higher ups. If your idea is used, this nature will change and then there will be no means of collecting. Maybe thats why its never done and the nature is allowed to remain as is.

Just stand at a red and light and I can see 1000s in fines I could have imposed including license suspensions/confistication too. But honestly the Traffic force is either too understaffed or too busy trying to manage the flow of traffic. When traffic is low, they rest ! I sincerely feel sorry for a cop trying to manage the flow of traffic and sometimes I see him and feel less frustated !

Not sure what the solution is, but we too are part of this problem. Now that speeds are increasing due to better roads and faster vehicles, hope we don't become another Egypt soon. They too drive like us (no lane discipline, frequent honking etc) but at double the speed. So an accident really kills.

The cleanup should happen from ground up. From traffic management, to better traffic cop training/facilities and then to education of people. Lastly the enforcement should not be in terms of fine. Ask the voilator to take a day off and sit in his respective RTO watching an 8 hour movie of proper driving and traffic under an officers supervision and then give him/her back the license. Then give him duty on one signal near his house. For repeaters, suspend their license and ask them to take written and driving test again with their own money (link DL to PAN/UID/Passport or ration card so that he/she cannot take a new one after suspension). Charge the fine based on his last year tax return like they do on autobahn.

Lastly, use the of AA of India (automobile association). Help them help us. They can help here too atleast on the driver side of things. http://www.aasindia.in/ (South). They have zone associations also. Somewhat like AAA in US but maybe they just need more members to really effect stuff in India. They are made up of really nice people.

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I think better enforcement will only be possible if the volumes of all types of vehicles is reduced. Bangalore has over 3.5 million vehicles for a 7.0 million population. ie. about one vehicle for two persons, on average - probably the highest for any large city in India.

Road space for such a huge number of vehicles is grossly insufficient & also, the road network is diffuse & highly complicated. This is perhaps the main reason for so many violations & haphazard parking, not to mention the poor road manners displayed by people who make no bones when blatantly intruding into others' paths.

Thus, efforts are needed to find ways to stem the increase in vehicle population & reduce it as much as possible. Though most are aware of this, authorities are unwilling to do anything drastic for fear of backlash from the public & still rely on age old techniques though better policies & methods can be used effectively & examples are available from elsewhere.

Efficient public transport is the only way out, but even here the mode chosen so far has only been Metro, which is hugely expensive & takes very long to build.

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I think the problem with privatizing/incentivizing traffic violations is that the enforcers get a little over enthusiastic - think of  `false encounters'. So there would be a need to use a lot fo technology - for example, cameras at the red lights. Cameras can also be used for parking violators - as it is easy to catch a car parked in a no parking zone when the sign is clear.

The problem is that people have reached a state where they know that nothing wrong is ever penalized - so they violate every possible rule with abandon. I'm sure 90% of the drivers dont know what a  blue disc with a red bar across it means.

Ramesh

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How about this approach of crowdsourcing here too? Should it be only limited to Internet? However I am aware this would bring operational/legal complications. But worth to think.. We have a lot of man power.

For example: One individual can install a legal "Stop and Proceed" sign at own cost where there is no signal and "look after" for a certain/limited time duration. Let us forget about high-tech signals.

Step 1. Create a portal where  eligible citizen/student can register as traffic operator(user). Or allow already existing non-police force to register.

Step 2. Validate the registered person.

Step 3. Issue ID card to each of them.And authorize for fine collection.

Step 4. Provide online extensive training in portal. (Again I am sure, many good people will be there to prepare materials). 

a) Traffic Rules

b) Basic etiquette (Not police manners)

c) Using system

Meanwhile make public aware via media.

Step 5. In the same portal, provide facility  where registered users can upload identified spots for traffic/road signs etc. Provide guidelines to identify such spots. For example: There is no use to make a signboard where is its not possible to follow it.

Step 6. Arrange for peer inspections and then public online discussions . Then final inspection and approval to be done by BTP.

Step 7. Arrange for online approvals/no objections by other departments like BBMP/BESCOM etc. Educate concerned officials to use the system for online approvals.

Step 8. Allow them to complete assigned work for example installing the legally approved works. Meanwhile fix the fines for different timings of day. Peak hrs non-peak hrs etc

Step 9. Identify fine collection zones.

   a) Places where is an infrastructure and people are not breaking rules because of infrastructure

   b) Where there is clear signage.

Step 10. Allocate / Manage resources to identified zones.

Step 11. Make them really visible in some way.

Step 12.  Allow them to implement rules in stages :

a) Educate

b) Warn

c) Fine/Corrective work in public ( Human rights abuse???)

d) Revoke

Step 13. Share fine revenue with predefined model.

Step 14. Review and correct system in a predefined interval. Let public know what is that interval. Allow them to participate in reviewing system.

I am aware this is not going to a simple system of just 14 steps. But we all want a way out from this mess not only traffic issues but many more, right? So I still think of many ways, though some may sound unrealistic. Hoping for better days..

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Bheema,

I'm just curious - do you know any place in the world where privatization of services such as manual monitoring for traffic violations has been tried or tested ?

In Bangalore, we know that a system exists where towing away vehicles in No Parking areas is being done by privately owned winching trucks. However, the actual monitoring & billing are all done by traffic police.

We also know that security services are privately owned by professional security firms almost all over the world, but I have not come across private traffic marshals who are mandated with authority to charge for traffic offences - not even in the most developed parts of the world.

I think your idea has a lot of potential for the future. Sadly, such methods might never appeal to the politicians here & our babus will conveniently refuse to think of this as progressive or path breaking since they might run some risks of failure, which they will always like to avoid.

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With the present system, there is a big possibility of people to get away with offences as there is no proof for their offence. If they take it to court, it wouldn't stand a chance, at least technically speaking (ignoring the practicalities).

There are cameras at various major junctions in the city. This needs to be extended to all the signals. And these cameras need to be able to capture the photo of the driver and the license plate like in other countries.

This proves to be beneficial in two ways. One, it provides proof against the offender and prevents innocent people being fined just because some policeman had to meet his target. 
 

By the way, someone please tell us what to do in case you are fined for no reason by a greedy policeman?

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 @Naveen

Sorry to say NO to your curious question : do you know any place in the world where privatization of services such as manual monitoring for traffic violations has been tried or tested ?

But we can create/set example to the world :) Well, as I mentioned in some earlier post, if police/babus can not allow this model, we can start something with some easier trials, but at least some authority to be given to operate.

I am dreaming some will create some social enterprise to operate. Something similar to social enterprises in Solar Sector. But this one will be tough, tough job !

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Private Policing of sorts has been implement in several places.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_police

In any case I would not be in favour of private criminal law enforcement - I would think that privatization should be done to enforce traffic violations and collect fines. However, this has to be done very carefully as it is easy to misuse. Nevertheless, I would imagine that it would be a sustainable model - what I would not trust is the private companies being allowed to decide what is legal or not - for example, where parking should be allowed or should not - but once that is decided perhaps the enforcement could be privatized. The only way this can be done successfully though, is with the use of technology - for example, digital camera photos.

Then again, this being India, there are issues. For one, since it is clearly a very lucrative business there will be a tremendous amount of corruption in handing out the contracts. Second, programs suchs as Photoshop can be abused to manupilate the photos - for example. someone elses licence plate can be photoshopped on to a car etc by the company so as to be able to collect fines. But perhaps it is still worth a shot.

Ramesh

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"By the way, someone please tell us what to do in case you are fined for no reason by a greedy policeman?"

As I said, that is a problem for moving violations. However, a photo can give adequate proof for parking violations. If they start with that it would be a huge cash cow for the allegedly cash strapped BBMP - as well as improve the situation on the roads.

Ramesh

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