A disturbing pattern has emerged from Kolkata's recent road accidents, highlighting a systemic failure in traffic enforcement. An investigation into the city's four worst accidents over the past month reveals that the vehicles involved collectively had a staggering 179 pending traffic cases against them, raising serious questions about accountability and road safety.
A Trail of Tragedy and Unpaid Fines
The incidents paint a grim picture of negligence. A few weeks ago, a 15-year-old boy, Aranya Chakraborty, lost his life after being run over by a bus on route 234 (Golf Green-Belgharia). The victim, a Class 9 student at a private English-medium school and son of a Cossipore Gun and Shell factory employee, was killed by a bus that was not roadworthy. Astonishingly, this particular bus had 64 serious traffic offences pending against it at the time of the accident.
In another case on December 3, 53-year-old Sujit Khamaru from Bishnupur near Joka lost his right leg in a multi-vehicle crash at Sakherbazar involving a private bus, a car, and two bikes. The private bus, plying between Diamond Harbour and Esplanade, was a repeat offender with 99 pending traffic cases, amounting to fines worth Rs 68,400.
The tragedy extended to a young student from Salt Lake, residing in Bagmari. The 12-year-old died after falling off his father's bike directly in front of a truck's rear wheel on his way to school. That truck had 12 pending cases. Even a high-end Ferrari, which severely injured a PWD worker earlier this month, had a history, with four speeding cases against it.
Lalbazar's Crackdown and New Proposals
In response to the rising accident cases this winter, Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar has initiated a stricter protocol. For motorists involved in non-fatal accidents, a recommendation from the local police station—instead of the traffic guard—to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) for partial license cancellation will now be sufficient to keep the driver off the road for weeks.
An official order states that "the local police stations investigating non-fatal accident cases will have the prerogative to decide if driving licences need to be recommended for cancellation." Furthermore, Lalbazar has proposed a stringent new regimen. It mandates that all motorists must acquire a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the police for the renewal of their vehicle's certificate of fitness, tax token, and even their driving licence.
The Challenge of Unpaid Penalties
Police officials point to a growing tendency to deliberately ignore paying traffic penalties, a problem expected to worsen with the steep increase in fines under the amended Motor Vehicles Act. They stress the need for a specific check-and-balance system involving Kolkata Police and the state transport department.
Data indicates that around 60% of pending fines belong to public vehicle owners, including buses, minibuses, app cabs, and taxis. "The buses are some of the biggest violators," noted an officer, citing the example of a Howrah-Bankra minibus involved in an Esplanade accident earlier this year. Its staff had not paid 203 penalties, eight of which have now been compounded and moved to court.
A traffic guard Officer-in-Charge explained the financial disincentive: "Buses on average have 100-250 cases pending at most times, mostly with fines between Rs 100-300. Now, with basic fines raised to Rs 500 and automatic compounding for multiple offences, each fine is worth Rs 1,500. Owners will naturally think twice about paying up." This economic calculus, however, comes at a deadly cost to public safety, as the recent accidents tragically demonstrate.
